Agenda item

Cabinet, at its meeting on 22 September 2017, will consider the report of the head of planning on the Local Plan to 2031.

The report of the head of planning, which Cabinet will consider, is attached. 

The Scrutiny Committee will discuss the Local Plan at its meeting on 20 September 2017. Any views or recommendations will be reported to Cabinet.

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

Cabinet’s recommendations will be circulated to councillors on Friday 22 September.

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 22 September 2017, on the publication version of Local Plan 2031 Part 2. An addendum was circulated prior to the meeting, and is available as an addendum to the Council agenda, setting out a number of amendments to the proposed Publication Version of the Local Plan 2031 Part 2. 

A copy of the Leader of the council’s statement on the Department for Communities and Local Government consultation document “Planning for the right homes in the right places” was before all councillors at the meeting and is available as an addendum to the Council agenda. The Chairman advised that in view of the importance of the matter and the unusual circumstances surrounding the statement, both Councillor Barber, as Leader of the council, and Councillor Hallett, as Leader of the Opposition, would have the opportunity to address council on the statement in addition to the usual speaking rules.

Councillor Cox, Cabinet member for planning, reported that the Part 1 Plan was adopted by Council in December 2016 and identified site allocations and policies to meet the objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements for the Vale of White Horse. The Part 1 Plan includes a policy commitment that confirms how the council will address Oxford’s unmet housing need through the preparation of the Local Plan 2031 Part 2.  In accordance with Regulation 18, public consultation on the preferred options version of the Part 2 Plan, was undertaken in the spring 2017. The council had assessed the responses and carried out all technical studies to produce the latest version of the local plan which would, assuming Council’s approval, be subject to the Regulation 19 consultation to test its soundness, before the plan was submitted to the Secretary of State by February 2018.   

Councillors 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. 

Councillor Hallett moved and Councillor Smith seconded an amendment to refer the issue back to Cabinet as follows:

“Council is committed to making sound and justified policy decisions for the people who live and work in the Vale, and part of that commitment is to create the best Local Plan 2031 that we can. Therefore, Council refers this item back to Cabinet for reconsideration in light of the Government's proposed changes to housing need figures and urges Cabinet to engage with members about what this change in the assessment methodology will mean to our housing numbers in different wards, both in terms of our own housing need, but also the unmet Oxford need”.  

Those councillors supporting the amendment expressed the view that the council should reassess the housing figures in light of the consultation to ensure the Local Plan 2 accurately reflected the council’s current housing need and Oxford City’s unmet need. By doing so the council could protect local communities from unnecessary development and the associated increase in traffic. 

However, other councillors supported the view 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.  The council had an obligation to deliver the Local Plan Part 2 for examination. 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 and risk a return to speculative planning applications.  If the government’s final proposals reduced the Vale’s housing requirement, which would be welcomed, the local plan housing numbers could be reviewed at the examination stage in 2018. 

On being put to the vote the amendment was declared lost. 

Whilst the majority of councillors supported the Local Plan Part 2 for consultation a number of councillors 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 site was not viable. 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 housing allocation was unnecessary, considering the recent government proposals to reduce housing numbers.   

Other councillors expressed concern regarding the area of safeguarded land for a cycle route from Dalton Barracks to the proposed park and ride site at Lodge Hill.  The council should not encourage the use of a park and ride so close to homes.  More time is required for the county council to respond before the council proceeded to consultation. 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 67, which provides for a recorded vote if three members request one, the Chairman called for a recorded vote on the motion which was declared carried with the voting as follows:

RESOLVED:

1.    to agree the changes to the Local Plan (following recommendations made by Scrutiny Committee) 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 and ride 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 Local Plan;

2.    to note and welcome the publication of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s “Planning for the right homes in the right places: consultation proposals”;

3.    to note that the consultation deadline on the Department for Communities and Local Government’s proposals is 9 November 2017 and that any pause in the adoption of Local Plan 2031 Part 2 would put at risk both Local Plan 2031 Part 1 and the council’s housing land supply;

4.    that the Publication Version - Local Plan 2031 Part 2: Detailed Policies and Additional Sites, associated documents (Sustainability Appraisal Report, Consultation Statement) and supporting technical evidence and topic papers be made available for a six-week publicity period under Regulations 19 and 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2012;

5.    following the six-week publicity period, to authorise the Head of Planning in consultation with Cabinet Member for Planning to submit the Publication Version Local Plan 2031 Part 2 and all associated documents, together with a Consultation Statement of the Publication responses to the Secretary of State for independent examination under regulation 20 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2012, unless the outcome of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s final proposals suggest that major changes are required to Local Plan 2031 Part 2 then such changes will be reconsidered by Cabinet before further recommendations are made to Council;

6.    to authorise the head of planning in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning, to make minor changes and corrections to the Local Plan Part 2 and supporting documents, including minor editorial, typographical and grammatical errors, up to and following plan submission and during examination.