Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence. 

Councillor Robert Sharp had sent his apologies for absence. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 4 August 2017. 

RESOLVED: to adopt as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 4 August 2017 and agree that the chairman signs them as such. 

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

None

None

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

Three councillors had requested to address Cabinet on the local plan proposals. 

(1)      Councillor Debby Hallett reported that the local plan was a well-produced document and thanked the officers for their work.  She referred Cabinet to the recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee. 

(2)      Councillor Yvonne Constance, speaking as the county council’s Cabinet member for Environment, objected to the local plan strategic housing allocation of land at Kingston Bagpuize.  The proposed allocation for 600 homes would have a significant adverse impact on the A420 and local roads.  The A420 was already congested and there were no plans to provide a dual-carriageway.  Apart from a relief road to the A415 and a roundabout on the A420 to access the site, the development would not bring any further infrastructure improvements.  The proposed development could add 400 to 500 cars at the roundabout on the A420.  The scheme did not provide any estimate of the cost of delivering the transport infrastructure.  The council should learn from the experience of having to refuse development at Hobbyhorse Lane, Sutton Courtenay, as the county council was unable to provide the transport infrastructure.  The bus service to Cumnor was only an aspiration at this stage and would not serve the A420 for some time.  This housing allocation was unnecessary, considering the recent government proposals to reduce housing numbers.  The allocation at Kingston Bagpuize should be the first to be removed.  There was a more suitable housing site east of Challow. 

(3)      Councillor Emily Smith expressed concern that the county council’s officers had not been consulted on the map submitted to the Scrutiny Committee.  The map showed the area of safeguarded land for a cycle route from Dalton Barracks to the proposed park and ride site at Lodge Hill.  Councillor Smith reported that the county council wanted to reduce the number of car journeys and instead encourage cycling.  The council should not encourage the use of a park and ride so close to homes.  She urged Cabinet to delay the local plan to allow more time for the county council to respond before the council proceeded with the Regulation 19 consultation. 

The chairman thanked the speakers for their contribution.  With regard to Councillor Emily Smith’s statement, the chairman reported that officers had been working with the county council to promote sustainable transport schemes.  Officers were asked to advise the Council meeting on 27 September of the level of co-operation between county and district officers on these proposals. 

To consider the head of planning’s report. 

All district councillors have been sent a copy of the Local Plan document separately.  PLEASE BRING THIS WITH YOU TO THE MEETING. 

The Local Plan document can also be found on the council’s website: http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/planning-and-building/planning-policy/local-plan-2031-part-2

The Scrutiny Committee meets to discuss the Local Plan on Wednesday 20 September 2017.  The committee’s comments will be made available at the Cabinet meeting. 

Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report on the publication version of Local Plan 2031 Part 2.  The report asked Cabinet to recommend Council to approve the publication version for a six-week publicity period under Regulations 19 and 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. 

The Cabinet member for planning reported that this stage of the local plan process looked at the policies surrounding new housing and its location, including the need to address Oxford’s unmet housing need.  The plan included detailed management policies, including those for Didcot Garden Town, together with saved policies from the Local Plan 2011.  Following the Regulation 18 consultation in the spring 2017, the council had assessed the responses and carried out all technical studies to produce this latest version of the local plan.  Following Council’s approval, the plan would be subject to the Regulation 19 consultation to test its soundness, before the plan was submitted to the Secretary of State by February 2018.  The Cabinet member commended the plan to Cabinet. 

Cabinet discussed the recent government proposals for consultation that recalculated the housing requirement using a nationwide formula.  This suggested similar housing numbers required for the Vale but presented the opportunity to reduce Oxford’s unmet housing need.  However, Cabinet concluded that as these were consultation proposals at this stage, and the final proposals would not be available until 2018, the council should proceed with its local plan.  Any delay in the adoption of Local Plan Part 2 would put at risk both Local Plan Part 1 and the council’s housing land supply.  If the government’s final proposals reduced the Vale’s housing requirement the local plan housing numbers could be reviewed at the examination stage in 2018.  If the government’s final proposals suggested that major changes were required, then such changes would be reconsidered by Cabinet before further recommendations were made to Council. 

Cabinet considered that the Oxfordshire Growth Board should be asked to start preparatory work on studies for economic growth that would be required should government housing policy be amended in light of the current consultation.  The Growth Board should also be asked to review Oxford’s unmet housing need at the earliest opportunity. 

Cabinet thanked the officers for their work in producing the local plan. 

RECOMMENDEDto Council on 27 September 2017 to:

(a)      agree the changes to the Local Plan (following recommendations made by Scrutiny Committee) to be set out in the addendum to Council on 27 September 2017, that seek to:

(i)         clarify spatial standards in chapter 3,

(ii)       ensure that the core policies are correctly numbered,

(iii)      ensure that sufficient land is safeguarded to enable a viable public transport and cycle link between the Dalton Barracks site and the proposed park at Lodge Hill,

(iv)      ensure that all registered parks and gardens, in particular the Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee site, are included in appendix I,

(v)       ensure that appendices N and O are complete,

(vi)      review the public transport site report to ensure consistency with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.