Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence. 

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To adopt and sign as a correct record the public minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 10 February 2012 (previously published). 

RESOLVED: To adopt the Cabinet minutes of 10 February 2012 and agree that the chairman signs them. 

To receive any declarations of personal or personal and prejudicial interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

None

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman.

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Any statements, petitions, and questions from the public under standing order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, a non-Cabinet member, made a statement on the core strategy.  She agreed with most of the strategy presented as she had been involved in some of its preparation prior to the district council elections in May 2011, but was surprised at the time taken to bring it to Cabinet and questioned the consultation undertaken.  As for the strategy itself, Councillor Hannaby was disappointed at the inclusion of the Monk’s Farm site north of Grove as this had previously been rejected by some local people and she was surprised that the developer of the Crab Hill site north-east of Wantage was only proposing 400 homes.  She believed that the Crab Hill development should not be piecemeal as this would not deliver the infrastructure funding to provide the Wantage relief road—the crucial element in reducing the traffic congestion in Wantage.  The council should also consider development north of StockhamPark, Wantage as this could also bring an extended relief road to bypass eastern Wantage and East Challow. 

Mr Tony Hughes, Chairman of the Keep Harwell Rural Campaign, had submitted a statement for Cabinet’s consideration but was unable to attend the meeting.  Cabinet read his statement before it considered the core strategy report (minute Ca.59 refers).  Mr Hughes’ statement requested Cabinet to reduce the number of homes to be built at Valley Park, to the west of Didcot and east of the A34, and relocate the development so that its southern boundary was at least 600 metres north of the B4493 (Didcot to Harwell road).  This would give some protection to Harwell and the land to the south of the B4493. 

To consider report 78/11 of the head of planning. 

Cabinet considered report 78/11 of the head of planning.  The Cabinet member with responsibility for planning reported that this concluded the internal review of the core strategy as part of the local development framework and looked beyond to the new planning policy framework.  The core strategy broadly indicated how the council would meet the housing target for the Vale of White Horse up to 2028/29.  The report outlined the main possible components of future housing, including what appeared to be the strongest strategic housing sites.  The draft strategy had been updated to focus development in the Science Vale UK area, the Vale’s main settlements, and the Vale’s larger villages.  The draft strategy had been through a consultation phase with district councillors and other partners.  He believed the timescale was realistic and the strategy could be robustly defended at a public inquiry. 

Cabinet also considered the statement submitted by Mr Tony Hughes of the Keep Harwell Rural Campaign, as summarised in minute Ca.58. 

Cabinet was asked to confirm these strategic housing sites for further consideration and public consultation.  Turning to the proposals in paragraph 8 of the report, Cabinet supported the core strategy proposals to:

• Include as preferred option sites:

(i)            Up to 2,150 homes at ValleyPark (in Harwell parish, west of Didcot and the A34)

(ii)          Up to 400 homes at Harwell Oxford Campus

(iii)        Up to 400 homes at Faringdon, south of Park Road

(iv)         Up to 1,500 homes at Crab Hill, north-east of Wantage

• Allocate an additional main settlement urban expansion on land north of Grove, including Monk’s Farm, for up to 900 homes
• Allocate strategic sites to accommodate up to 850 homes in the larger villages, with first consideration going to options in Kingston Bagpuize, Shrivenham and Watchfield
• Allocate smaller sites for up to 1,400 homes in the later ‘Managing Development’ Development Plan Document
• Make no reliance on windfalls as a source of supply in the plan period

Cabinet stressed that although these figures totalled 7,600 homes, the core strategy plans to provide 6,300 homes.  Whilst each identified source of housing supply would contribute, the council would not be seeking to secure the maximum number of potential homes indicated from every site.  Some sites would be lower than the maximum indicated, but   there would need to be sufficient development on any given site to deliver the necessary supporting infrastructure.

Cabinet asked the officers to carry out further technical work to establish where reductions can best be made.  This is to include the testing of alternative levels of development for all the preferred housing locations, with an example suggested that officers test 500 homes less than the maximum at both the Crab Hill site at Wantage, and at Valley Park west of Didcot.  Cabinet also expressed that care should be taken over adding additional development at the Harwell Oxford Campus. 

Cabinet also noted that the 6,300 homes to plan for may be reduced further before the submission of the draft core strategy, because there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

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