Oxford Local Plan
13th November 2023
Oxford Local Plan 2040 Reg 19 consultation – CPRE Oxfordshire Response
This consultation has now closed. You can see the CPRE Oxfordshire response in full below.
A summary of our concerns and the policies we have challenged is included in the CPRE Oxon Response_Final document.
This includes:
- Housing requirement – we have strongly challenged the City’s evidence base for its housing numbers, as have South & Vale District Councils.
- Renewables – we have called for a robust brownfield first approach to renewable energy that includes a spatial strategy maximising the potential for renewable energy within the city on industrial sites, shopping centres, car parks and even the city’s road network.
- Green Belt – we believe the Plan needs a clear policy on the positive enhancement of the Green Belt.
- Employment land – the proposed policy is too restrictive and puts unnecessary barriers in the way of developing sites for housing.
- Biodiversity Net Gain – the policy is too unambitious and should be increased to seek a minimum 20% Net Gain.
We have also registered our support for proposed policy R1, which promotes net zero carbon development.
Next Steps
Oxford City Council will review the consultation responses. If they make any significant changes, they may need to re-consult. However, the most likely route is that the Council will approve the document for submission to the Planning Inspectorate. An Inspector will then be appointed to review the draft Plan (incl. these consultation responses) and key issues will be discussed in a series of public hearings (an Examination in Public) which are likely to take place in Autumn 2024.
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Responding to Local Plan consultations takes time and expertise, but is vital for ensuring robust development policies that protect the countryside. CPRE is one of the few organisations that engages in this process, working hard to make sure the views of local residents and the needs of the countryside are taken into account.
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