CPRE Oxfordshire: Unrelenting expansion of the City of Oxford is not environmentally sustainable

Oxford Core Strategy
Further information

News Update:

2010

August 26th: EiP Hearings into Oxford Core Strategy to resume on 14 September.

Following the revocation of the South East Plan (or RSS), the City Council was asked by Inspector Pratt to respond to a number of issues by 20 August. The City Council has now submitted its response and it has also prepared a Housing Background Paper, in response to the Inspector’s letter of 24 July. Other examination participants have also responded to the Inspector, including CPRE Oxfordshire.

The Inspector has now confirmed that the hearings are to be resumed on 14 September. The Inspector's agenda is to follow.

For more information see Oxford City Council website here.
See: CPRE Oxfordshire's response here.

July 13th 2010: Oxford Core Strategy Examination - Resumption of Hearings.

Following the announcement by the Secretary of State on 6 July 2010, confirming that Regional Strategies had formally been revoked and no longer form part of the statutory development plan, Inspector Pratt has said that the examination of the soundness of the Oxford Core Strategy can be continued.

However, before the hearing sessions resume, he is asking for further information from the City Council and other interested parties, on the implications of the revocation of the South East Plan/Regional Strategy. The Inspector lists seven matters on which he would like the City Councils views.

The City Council and others interested parties must submit their responses to the Programme Officer no later than 20 August 2010.

The Hearings are due to resume on 14 September.

See the Inspector's letter to the City Council (12 July) here.

June 14 2010: Oxford Core Strategy EIP: resumption of hearing sessions postponed by Inspector.

The Inspector has now written to the City Council to confirm that he is postponing any resumption of the Examination in Public hearings in the light of the recent letter from the Secretary of State Eric Pickles to Council leaders proposing to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) and return decision-making powers on housing and planning (including housing supply and the provision of travellers sites) to local councils without the framework of regional numbers and plans. The Minister of State has also announced changes to housing policy relating to previously developed land (private residential gardens) and housing density.

It is not clear whether and how the Oxford EIP might resume. This represents a fundamental change to the to local councils without the framework of regional numbers and plans. The Minister of State has also announced changes to housing policy relating to previously developed land (private residential gardens) and housing density. context of the Oxford Core Strategy and - given all the other issues which have affected this EIP - may mean a major re-think. Many, including CPRE, consider the existing Core Strategy document and the entire process to be flawed and lacking credibility.

The Inspector says: “Consequently, at present, I consider that it would be difficult to proceed with the resumed hearing sessions until further clarity is available on the status of the RSS, and the means by which it will be abolished, and how decisions on housing and planning will be returned the local planning authorities without a framework of regional numbers and plans.

I understand that a formal Ministerial statement on this matter will be released shortly. I therefore intend to defer a decision about whether and when to resume the hearings until the nature, scope and approach of any revised housing and planning policy framework is clear, after the Ministerial Statement has been made.”

See the Inspector's letter here.

May 28 2010: CPRE Oxfordshire welcomes abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies and more say for local communities – but urges action to avoid policy vacuum.

The Government proposal to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies had been expected and CPRE Oxfordshire welcomes the move to reform planning and give back greater control to local communities. But we need a clear, effective system to replace “top down” targets and deliver genuinely sustainable solutions, with protection for the countryside, the Green Belt, important landscapes and habitats. It is a golden opportunity to deliver sensible, sustainable planning and reduce the complexities which bedevil the current system.

With the Districts in the midst of their Core Strategies, the last thing Oxfordshire needs is a period of uncertainty and policy vacuum as this will only encourage speculative planning applications. We would urge the Government to expedite new arrangements after full consultations, and provide effective national guidance which does not ride roughshod over local concerns.

With SE Plan targets removed, we would urge the five Districts to reconsider their housing plans to 2026 and formulate Core Strategies which are more sustainable and more in tune with local views.

Finally, this should not be a green light for the City to renew their ambitions to expand into the Green Belt. The Central Oxfordshire sub-regional strategy aims to maintain the city as a vibrant centre, while creating more jobs and investment in towns such as Bicester and Didcot to relieve the pressures. We call on the five Districts and County Council to now work together responsibly to give new life to the Central Oxfordshire concept.

See: CPRE Oxfordshire Press Release (28 May).
See: Oxford Times (27 May).
See: Oxford Mail (27 May)
For more information on the Devolution and Localism Bill see DCLG website here.
For the full list of Bills see DCLG website here.

2009

September 2009: CPRE opposes the proposed 'Northern Gateway' business park at public review of the city council's local plan.

At the reconvened inquiry, on 10th and 11th September, which focused on the City’s proposed 'Northern Gateway' business park (otherwise known as Pear Tree), CPRE urged the inspector to redraw the line of the proposed site to exclude two areas of Green Belt.

During the inquiry, consultants Kier admitted that the 'lower range of development could be accommodated without the use of Green Belt land'.

Opponents of the 'Northern Gateway'' proposal agreed that the removal of the Northern Gateway proposal from the City's Core Strategy would 'improve' the future of Oxford.

The inspector’s report is expected in October.

See Oxford Mail (September 11th).
See map of Northern Gateway.

August 2009: CPRE opposes the proposed development at Grenoble Road at a public review of the city council's local plan.

CPRE City District Committee last week opposed the proposed development at Grenoble Road, at a public review of the city council's local plan (Oxford Core Strategy) which was conducted by a Government planning inspector.

Micheal Tyce, Chairman of the CPRE Thame District, said: "We are against the urban extension. The planning inspector won’t be able to go against the South East Plan, but we are going to ask him to delay it as long as possible.”

At the inquiry, David Fenton, the planning inspector, urged the city counci and the SODC to work together to ensure new homes south of Grenoble Road were properly integrated with the city's infrastructure.

Asked when the development might begin, David Jackson, who was speaking for landowners Thames Water and Magdalen College, said there was no reason why construction shouldn't begin as early as 2013.

The inquiry which was held between July 14th and 31st, will reconvene for two days on 10th and 11th September to debate the City’s 'Northern Gateway' plans (otherwise known as Pear Tree). The inspector’s report is expected in October.

See Oxford Times (July 29th).
See Oxford Mail (July 29th).
See CPRE's wirtten submission on the Oxford Core Strategy (July 2009), regarding the proposed development at 'Northern Gateway'.

June 2009

Since its submission to the Secretary of State in 21st Nov 2008, the Core Strategy is now in its Examination phase. The Planning Inspectorate has appointed an Inspector, Mr. David Fenton MSc DipTP MRTPI.

The Core Strategy timetable is as follows:

Statutory notice of Examination was published on 28 May 2009.
Pre-Hearing Meeting on 2 June 2009. Minutes.
Hearing Sessions 24 July - 31 July. Matters and Issues and Draft Agenda.

The contact details for the Programme Officer for the Examination are detailed here.

May 2009

As a result of an Exploratory meeting in January 2009, the Council produced the Proposed Changes to the Submission Core Strategy. The consultation on the changes shown in this document closed on the 15th May 2009.

See Proposed Changes to Submission Core Strategy.

2008

October 17 2008: CPRE comments on Oxford Core Strategy.

CPRE has submitted its comments to Oxford City Council's Core Strategy, setting out the pattern of development across Oxford until 2026.

The Core Strategy includes two major development schemes: one of the schemes would see an extension of the Barton estate, with upto 1200 new homes built; on the other side of Oxford there are plans to create a 'northern gateway' for the city near the Pear Tree roundabout, containing a business park and emergency centre.

The Core Strategy will also examine whether pockets of land need to be released from the Green Belt, with a 'highly focused' Green Belt boundary review proposed.

With the city council already committed to a Green Belt review to allow 4,000 houses to be built near Grenoble Road, CPRE Oxfordshire, has expressed its concern. In a letter to the editor of the Oxford Times (October 17), Kit Villiers, CPRE Oxford District said:

'We oppose both the urban extension south of Grenoble Road and the city council's threatened boundary revision into the Green Belt. The whole purpose of the establishment of the Green Belt was to prevent such urban sprawl.

In this connection we find the council's whole 'core strategy' extremely worrying. The slogan "Building a world-class city for everyone" on the front cover of the latest version — the so-called Oxford Core Strategy 2026 Proposed Submission — tells the whole depressing story.

The council seems determined not only to build houses on the Green Belt, but to expand employment too (notably at Peartree) thus creating the need for yet further housing.'

The consultation period ran for 6 weeks from 5 September to 17 October. Representations received will be carefully considered and possible amendments made to the document prior to formal submission.

See: Oxford Times (October 17).
See: CPRE's response to the Core Strategy.

4 March 2008: Southfield Golf Course has been saved from being turned into a massive housing development - for the time being.

Oxford City Council has decided not to include the Southfield Gold Course in a list of sites for possible housing developments. The land was identified in the Core Strategy as one of four areas that could accommodate as many as 3,000 new homes after 2016. Concern about environmental factors played a large part in the decision, including the number of badger setts around the course. But the other sites - at Barton, Summertown and Pear Tree - are all still seen as having potential for housing.

See: Oxford Times (4 March).

2007

31 May. Deadline for written submissions about the Core Strategy and the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.
21 May. 177 acres of Oxford's green fields will be lost by 2026
11 May. CPRE response to the Core Strategy Preferred Options
30 March. Oxford City Council launches its consultation on the Core Strategy. The deadline for comments is 11 May. These proposals have significant implications for the green spaces within Oxford City.

Core Strategy

Oxford City Council is preparing a document called the Core Strategy that will set out the pattern of development across Oxford until 2026. This means that it will, for example, identify which broad areas are suitable for housing and other strategic development needs. The Core Strategy will be a key document within Oxford's Local Development Framework (LDF).

Oxford City Council is currently consulting on the Strategy and the Framework. CPRE says:

"Unrelenting expansion of the City of Oxford is not environmentally sustainable."

Future planning for Oxford must address four principles:

Uniqueness. Oxford is a unique City on the world stage and planning strategies must nurture this uniqueness, which is founded on the quality of its historical, natural and intellectual environments.
Sustainability. Oxford is close to reaching its environmental and economic limits, and cannot sustain substantial expansion in housing, employment or the retail sector.
Green spaces. The City is intertwined and bounded by green spaces, which must be preserved to retain its character.
Affordability. Affordable housing for Oxford's workers must continue to be a priority, where landscape constraints permit.

The Core Strategy singles out four sites for development:

Pear Tree. CPRE welcomes appropriate development at this site.
Summertown. Development of this site is unacceptable.
Barton. Environmentally sensitive development might be appropriate.
Southfield Golf Course. Development is unacceptable.

Details of these and several other greenfield sites that may be developed are in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.

Further information

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		CPRE Oxfordshire Campaigning to protect Oxfordshire's countryside for 75 years

	Oxford to 2026: The Core Strategy for Development in Oxford

	Oxford Core Strategy Further information News Update: 2010 August 26th: EiP Hearings into Oxford Core Strategy to resume on 14 September. Following the revocation of the South East Plan (or RSS), the City Council was asked by Inspector Pratt to respond to a number of issues by 20 August. The City Council has now submitted its response and it has also prepared a Housing Background Paper, in response to the Inspector’s letter of 24 July. Other examination participants have also responded to the Inspector, including CPRE Oxfordshire. The Inspector has now confirmed that the hearings are to be resumed on 14 September. The Inspector's agenda is to follow. For more information see Oxford City Council website here. See: CPRE Oxfordshire's response here. July 13th 2010: Oxford Core Strategy Examination - Resumption of Hearings. Following the announcement by the Secretary of State on 6 July 2010, confirming that Regional Strategies had formally been revoked and no longer form part of the statutory development plan, Inspector Pratt has said that the examination of the soundness of the Oxford Core Strategy can be continued. However, before the hearing sessions resume, he is asking for further information from the City Council and other interested parties, on the implications of the revocation of the South East Plan/Regional Strategy. The Inspector lists seven matters on which he would like the City Councils views. The City Council and others interested parties must submit their responses to the Programme Officer no later than 20 August 2010. The Hearings are due to resume on 14 September. See the Inspector's letter to the City Council (12 July) here. June 14 2010: Oxford Core Strategy EIP: resumption of hearing sessions postponed by Inspector. The Inspector has now written to the City Council to confirm that he is postponing any resumption of the Examination in Public hearings in the light of the recent letter from the Secretary of State Eric Pickles to Council leaders proposing to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) and return decision-making powers on housing and planning (including housing supply and the provision of travellers sites) to local councils without the framework of regional numbers and plans. The Minister of State has also announced changes to housing policy relating to previously developed land (private residential gardens) and housing density. It is not clear whether and how the Oxford EIP might resume. This represents a fundamental change to the to local councils without the framework of regional numbers and plans. The Minister of State has also announced changes to housing policy relating to previously developed land (private residential gardens) and housing density. context of the Oxford Core Strategy and - given all the other issues which have affected this EIP - may mean a major re-think. Many, including CPRE, consider the existing Core Strategy document and the entire process to be flawed and lacking credibility. The Inspector says: “Consequently, at present, I consider that it would be difficult to proceed with the resumed hearing sessions until further clarity is available on the status of the RSS, and the means by which it will be abolished, and how decisions on housing and planning will be returned the local planning authorities without a framework of regional numbers and plans. I understand that a formal Ministerial statement on this matter will be released shortly. I therefore intend to defer a decision about whether and when to resume the hearings until the nature, scope and approach of any revised housing and planning policy framework is clear, after the Ministerial Statement has been made.” See the Inspector's letter here. May 28 2010: CPRE Oxfordshire welcomes abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies and more say for local communities – but urges action to avoid policy vacuum. The Government proposal to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies had been expected and CPRE Oxfordshire welcomes the move to reform planning and give back greater control to local communities. But we need a clear, effective system to replace “top down” targets and deliver genuinely sustainable solutions, with protection for the countryside, the Green Belt, important landscapes and habitats. It is a golden opportunity to deliver sensible, sustainable planning and reduce the complexities which bedevil the current system. With the Districts in the midst of their Core Strategies, the last thing Oxfordshire needs is a period of uncertainty and policy vacuum as this will only encourage speculative planning applications. We would urge the Government to expedite new arrangements after full consultations, and provide effective national guidance which does not ride roughshod over local concerns. With SE Plan targets removed, we would urge the five Districts to reconsider their housing plans to 2026 and formulate Core Strategies which are more sustainable and more in tune with local views. Finally, this should not be a green light for the City to renew their ambitions to expand into the Green Belt. The Central Oxfordshire sub-regional strategy aims to maintain the city as a vibrant centre, while creating more jobs and investment in towns such as Bicester and Didcot to relieve the pressures. We call on the five Districts and County Council to now work together responsibly to give new life to the Central Oxfordshire concept. See: CPRE Oxfordshire Press Release (28 May). See: Oxford Times (27 May). See: Oxford Mail (27 May) For more information on the Devolution and Localism Bill see DCLG website here. For the full list of Bills see DCLG website here. 2009 September 2009: CPRE opposes the proposed 'Northern Gateway' business park at public review of the city council's local plan. At the reconvened inquiry, on 10th and 11th September, which focused on the City’s proposed 'Northern Gateway' business park (otherwise known as Pear Tree), CPRE urged the inspector to redraw the line of the proposed site to exclude two areas of Green Belt. During the inquiry, consultants Kier admitted that the 'lower range of development could be accommodated without the use of Green Belt land'. Opponents of the 'Northern Gateway'' proposal agreed that the removal of the Northern Gateway proposal from the City's Core Strategy would 'improve' the future of Oxford. The inspector’s report is expected in October. See Oxford Mail (September 11th). See map of Northern Gateway. August 2009: CPRE opposes the proposed development at Grenoble Road at a public review of the city council's local plan. CPRE City District Committee last week opposed the proposed development at Grenoble Road, at a public review of the city council's local plan (Oxford Core Strategy) which was conducted by a Government planning inspector. Micheal Tyce, Chairman of the CPRE Thame District, said: "We are against the urban extension. The planning inspector won’t be able to go against the South East Plan, but we are going to ask him to delay it as long as possible.” At the inquiry, David Fenton, the planning inspector, urged the city counci and the SODC to work together to ensure new homes south of Grenoble Road were properly integrated with the city's infrastructure. Asked when the development might begin, David Jackson, who was speaking for landowners Thames Water and Magdalen College, said there was no reason why construction shouldn't begin as early as 2013. The inquiry which was held between July 14th and 31st, will reconvene for two days on 10th and 11th September to debate the City’s 'Northern Gateway' plans (otherwise known as Pear Tree). The inspector’s report is expected in October. See Oxford Times (July 29th). See Oxford Mail (July 29th). See CPRE's wirtten submission on the Oxford Core Strategy (July 2009), regarding the proposed development at 'Northern Gateway'. June 2009 Since its submission to the Secretary of State in 21st Nov 2008, the Core Strategy is now in its Examination phase. The Planning Inspectorate has appointed an Inspector, Mr. David Fenton MSc DipTP MRTPI. The Core Strategy timetable is as follows: Statutory notice of Examination was published on 28 May 2009. Pre-Hearing Meeting on 2 June 2009. Minutes. Hearing Sessions 24 July - 31 July. Matters and Issues and Draft Agenda. The contact details for the Programme Officer for the Examination are detailed here. May 2009 As a result of an Exploratory meeting in January 2009, the Council produced the Proposed Changes to the Submission Core Strategy. The consultation on the changes shown in this document closed on the 15th May 2009. See Proposed Changes to Submission Core Strategy. 2008 October 17 2008: CPRE comments on Oxford Core Strategy. CPRE has submitted its comments to Oxford City Council's Core Strategy, setting out the pattern of development across Oxford until 2026. The Core Strategy includes two major development schemes: one of the schemes would see an extension of the Barton estate, with upto 1200 new homes built; on the other side of Oxford there are plans to create a 'northern gateway' for the city near the Pear Tree roundabout, containing a business park and emergency centre. The Core Strategy will also examine whether pockets of land need to be released from the Green Belt, with a 'highly focused' Green Belt boundary review proposed. With the city council already committed to a Green Belt review to allow 4,000 houses to be built near Grenoble Road, CPRE Oxfordshire, has expressed its concern. In a letter to the editor of the Oxford Times (October 17), Kit Villiers, CPRE Oxford District said: 'We oppose both the urban extension south of Grenoble Road and the city council's threatened boundary revision into the Green Belt. The whole purpose of the establishment of the Green Belt was to prevent such urban sprawl. In this connection we find the council's whole 'core strategy' extremely worrying. The slogan "Building a world-class city for everyone" on the front cover of the latest version — the so-called Oxford Core Strategy 2026 Proposed Submission — tells the whole depressing story. The council seems determined not only to build houses on the Green Belt, but to expand employment too (notably at Peartree) thus creating the need for yet further housing.' The consultation period ran for 6 weeks from 5 September to 17 October. Representations received will be carefully considered and possible amendments made to the document prior to formal submission. See: Oxford Times (October 17). See: CPRE's response to the Core Strategy. 4 March 2008: Southfield Golf Course has been saved from being turned into a massive housing development - for the time being. Oxford City Council has decided not to include the Southfield Gold Course in a list of sites for possible housing developments. The land was identified in the Core Strategy as one of four areas that could accommodate as many as 3,000 new homes after 2016. Concern about environmental factors played a large part in the decision, including the number of badger setts around the course. But the other sites - at Barton, Summertown and Pear Tree - are all still seen as having potential for housing. See: Oxford Times (4 March). 2007 31 May. Deadline for written submissions about the Core Strategy and the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. 21 May. 177 acres of Oxford's green fields will be lost by 2026 11 May. CPRE response to the Core Strategy Preferred Options 30 March. Oxford City Council launches its consultation on the Core Strategy. The deadline for comments is 11 May. These proposals have significant implications for the green spaces within Oxford City. Core Strategy Oxford City Council is preparing a document called the Core Strategy that will set out the pattern of development across Oxford until 2026. This means that it will, for example, identify which broad areas are suitable for housing and other strategic development needs. The Core Strategy will be a key document within Oxford's Local Development Framework (LDF). Oxford City Council is currently consulting on the Strategy and the Framework. CPRE says: "Unrelenting expansion of the City of Oxford is not environmentally sustainable." Future planning for Oxford must address four principles: Uniqueness. Oxford is a unique City on the world stage and planning strategies must nurture this uniqueness, which is founded on the quality of its historical, natural and intellectual environments. Sustainability. Oxford is close to reaching its environmental and economic limits, and cannot sustain substantial expansion in housing, employment or the retail sector. Green spaces. The City is intertwined and bounded by green spaces, which must be preserved to retain its character. Affordability. Affordable housing for Oxford's workers must continue to be a priority, where landscape constraints permit. The Core Strategy singles out four sites for development: Pear Tree. CPRE welcomes appropriate development at this site. Summertown. Development of this site is unacceptable. Barton. Environmentally sensitive development might be appropriate. Southfield Golf Course. Development is unacceptable. Details of these and several other greenfield sites that may be developed are in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. Further information 177 acres of Oxford's green fields will be lost by 2026 CPRE response to the Core Strategy Preferred Options (including the four specific sites) Oxford City Council Core Strategy to 2026 Oxford City Council launches its consultation on the Core Strategy CPRE submission to Oxford 2026 Core Strategy: Issues and Options paper Kelly bypasses South East Plan and gives Oxford Growth Point Status: 24 October 2006 CPRE policy on brownfield land

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	All content Copyright © 2005-09 Campaign to Protect Rural England Oxfordshire unless stated. Published by CPRE Oxfordshire, Punches Barn, Waterperry Road, Holton, Oxfordshire OX33 1PP. 01865 874780. campaign@cpreoxon.org.uk. www.cpreoxon.org.uk. The Campaign to Protect Rural England promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. National website: www.cpre.org.uk.