Agenda item

To receive feedback on the work of the Planning Advisory Group from its Chair, Councillor Andy Graham and its Senior Responsible Officer, Giles Hughes. Notes of the two meetings of the advisory group to date are attached later in the agenda pack.

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council and Chair of the Planning Advisory Group and Giles Hughes, Chief Executive of West Oxfordshire District Council and Senior Responsible Officer for the Planning Advisory Group provided a verbal update on the group’s activities.

In summary:

·           The Planning Advisory Group was a new group set up by the Future Oxfordshire Partnership in June 2023.

·           So far it had met twice, 21^st July and the 15^th September.

·           Involves Planning Portfolio Holders from the City, Districts and County Council, and a Health Representative.

·           The purpose of the Planning Advisory Group is to provide a forum in which local authority members can discuss county wide strategic planning matters.

·           This supports delivery of the Oxfordshire Strategic Vision for Long Term Sustainable Development.

·           The individual councils maintain sovereignty over the content of local plans through their own internal processes, as local planning authorities.

·           As a result of the decision not to proceed with the Oxfordshire Plan in 2022, the local plans have a key role in planning the future development of the County.

·           The Planning Advisory Group supports the Duty to Cooperate (Localism Act 2011) - a legal test that requires cooperation between local planning authorities and other public bodies.

·           The group provides a forum to discuss matters of common interest.

·           The work programme of the group was at an early stage, the following suggestions are currently being considered:

• Developer challenges to viability assessments.
• Implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain through the planning system.
• Modern methods of construction; and
• Planning for health infrastructure and the delivery of health projects alongside development.

·           The next meeting of the group was scheduled for 15^{th of} December and an update on officer work on the above topics was to be presented.

·           The group was in its early stage and discussions were ongoing but was focussed on where the councils working together could add value and it was important that a mechanism existed for the councillor discussions on planning issues and to updates to be provided on each council’s local plans.

Councillor Graham and Giles Hughes were asked whether modular housing would be included within the scope of the proposed modern methods of construction work programme suggestion. Councillor Graham indicated that it was felt that modular options would be included in scope of the item.

In response to a question about the role of the advisory group in terms of the Duty to Cooperate and documents such as the recent Housing and Economic Needs Assessment, (HENA) jointly produced by Cherwell District Council and Oxford City Council, the Panel was informed that the advisory group was not the only mechanism for councils to demonstrate cooperation and formal cooperation as part of the Local Plan process between councils still needed to take place including the expression of a council’s position to another proposals through the Plan consultation process.  The advisory group had not held discussion on housing need and the different approaches councils were taking and it was noted that there were differing views on the subject. The focus of the group was on matters where there was potential agreement between the councils.

In discussion, a number of members of the panel expressed significant concerns and scepticism around the role and additional value that the Planning Advisory Group could bring by seeking to look at matters at Future Oxfordshire Partnership level, over and above existing informal and formal arrangements around planning cooperation which it was felt would still happen whether the advisory group existed or not. This was felt to be particularly important within the overall context of the general pressures on council budgets and resources and that the case for Future Oxfordshire Partnership level work on planning related matters needed to be compelling.

Concerns were also expressed around what was felt to be a lack of detail of the proposed work programme, potential duplication with the Housing Advisory Group relating to modern methods of construction and matters relating to Biodiversity Net Gain within the Oxfordshire Local Nature Partnership. A number of members also expressed the view that viability considerations were matters for consideration as part of Local Plans only and that they felt that considering them at Future Oxfordshire Partnership level would not add value.

RESOLVED: The update was noted.