Oxford City Local Plan Examination: Hearing Sessions announced
18th October 2019
The Secretary of State has appointed Planning Inspectors Jonathan Bore BA MRTPI DipUD and Nick Fagan BSc Dip TP, MRTPI to conduct an Examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the Oxford City Local Plan.
Hearing sessions, which are part of the overall Examination into the Plan will commence at 10.00am on Tuesday 3rd December 2019 within The King’s Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES.
Copies of the Inspectors’ Guidance Note and Matters, Issues and Questions incorporating an indicative schedule for the Hearing discussions can be downloaded below. The Guidance Note will help to explain many of the procedural and administrative aspects of the Examination.
A website for the Examination has been established and will be regularly updated throughout the process: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/localplanexamination
Anyone who made representations previously can submit further written comments or participate in a hearing session.
Submitting further written comments:
Instructions on the form and submission of written statements can be found in the Guidance Note. The submission of further written statements must specifically focus upon the relevant Matters and Questions the Inspectors have identified in accordance with your representations. Unless specifically requested, the Inspectors will not accept further material beyond their intended Matters for discussion or in relation to elements of the Plan that you have not commented upon previously. The deadline for submission of written statements is 5pm on Friday 8th November 2019. Please note that this deadline applies to both the provision of hard copy and electronic statement submissions.
Participate in a hearing session:
Let Ian Kemp, Programme Officer know by 5pm on Friday 1st November 2019, mobile: 07723 009166. Participants and programme will be finalised ahead of the hearings. Representors requesting to speak during the hearing sessions are welcome to supply additional written statements should they wish to in accordance with the guidance and deadline.
CPRE Oxfordshire believes Oxford City appears to be considerably over-stating its housing need and at the same time under-estimating how many houses it could build within its own boundaries.
Back in June, Joint Inspectors published their Initial Questions and Comments demonstrating concern over the evidence for the housing numbers Oxford has used and about its claims of its limited capacity to contain them.
Read more here
CPRE Oxfordshire have submitted responses to the Oxford Local Plan Inspectors’ Matters & Issues covering:
Matter 1 – Housing Requirement
Matter 2 – Housing Capacity
Matter 3 – Green Belt
These can be downloaded below.
CPRE Oxon OxEIP Nov 19 – Matter 1 Housing Requirement
CPRE Oxon OxEIP Nov 19 – Matter 2 Housing Capacity & Unmet Need
CPRE Oxon OxEIP Nov 19 – Matter 3 Green Belt