Planning - South Oxfordshire Local Development Framework - Latest News
CPRE notes Inspector's interim response to SODC's Core Strategy
5th December 2011
The Government appointed Planning Inspector, who has been examining the council’s proposed Core Strategy, has produced some draft conclusions following the hearings held at the beginning of November (issued on 30th November). These are not his final conclusions, which will be contained in a report that is not expected until next spring. Nonetheless, these draft conclusions provide a strong indication of the Inspector’s likely findings on some key areas.
The principal changes he is proposing are:
- the allocation of land to the south of Wallingford for a new greenfield neighbourhood of 555 homes - instead of allocating land to the west of Wallingford, as the council had proposed, and;
- for the allocation of land for 775 homes at Thame to be determined through the emerging Neighbourhood Plan - instead of the allocation of land to the north west of Thame for a new greenfield neighbourhood of 600 homes and the allocation of 175 homes through the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
CPRE welcomes the Inspector's decision not to include an allocation for 4,000 homes in the Green Belt to the south of Oxford, and his confirmation that there are insufficient grounds to change the Green Belt boundary at Wheatley.
See: SODC Core Strategy examination web page (external website)
Hearings into SODC's Core Strategy close
29th November 2011
The Examination in Public on South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC)'s Core Strategy ended on 11th November. CPRE Oxfordshire was represented at the hearings. Serious concerns were raised at the hearings that the Core Strategy did not comply with the European Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive. As a result, SODC has been given an extension within which to satisfy the Inspector that its SEA is sound.
The Inspector has indicated that he will be requiring changes to the District Council's proposed stategy, and that he still requires further evidence that the Sustainability Appraisal has been properly done. It is expected that he will issue his report before the end of the year (which may require further consultations). The Council says it currently expects to publish a modified version of its Core Strategy by April 2012.
Inspector rejects SODC's call for a Green Belt review at Wheatley
29th September 2011
The July hearings into the draft SODC Core Strategy have now been completed, and the Inspector’s report received.
In his preliminary conclusions, the Inspector has completely accepted CPRE's case that the extension of Wheatley would not only harm the Green Belt, but cause a “joining up” of a string of development from Horspath to the M40 and beyond and rejected the District Council’s proposal.
The Inspector said of the District Council’s Wheatley proposal: "The local communities understandably place significant value on the narrow breaks between these settlements, considering such gaps important contributors to their independent characters and an indicator of the Green Belt fulfilling its purpose. The implication of the CS [Core Strategy] is that Wheatley would be extended eastwards down to Wheatley Bridge, facilitated by exclusion from the Green Belt of open land to the east of the village and the outlying industrial area. This would emphasise Oxford-related ‘sprawl’ and urban encroachment into the countryside by stretching the above ‘beads’ almost as far as the M40, thereby offending two of the Green Belt’s five main purposes without justification by clear exceptional circumstances."
Helena Whall, Campaign Manager for CPRE Oxfordshire, said: “We welcome the Inspector’s decision to reject SODC’s proposal to extend Wheatley into the Green Belt, but we believe the green fields between the village and the services next the M40 remain at risk from future development. If and when the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) comes into being, with its presumption in favour of development, we are fearful that the Inspector’s decision could be overridden in favour of the District Council’s proposed extension, thereby undermining the purpose of the Green Belt.”
As far as a review of the Green Belt at Berinsfield is concerned, the Inspector said: "It is relatively unusual for a village of this size not to be inset from the Green Belt within its own defined boundaries and this factor, along with all the others discussed above, lead to the conclusion that circumstances at Berinsfield represent exceptional circumstances justifying a local green belt review not confined to drawing the boundary tightly around the existing built-up area."
Helena Whall said: “At the next stage, called ‘Site Allocations’, we will need to watch how far into the Green Belt towards Dorchester on Thames the District Council proposes to extend the village boundary, and if necessary take further action. We are concerned that while the draft NPPF is keen to see villages like Berinsfield, which are currently ‘washed over’ by the Green Belt, be ‘inset’ in the Green Belt, there is little clarity in the draft NPFF on where the new boundaries should be. As such, we could see the village of Berinsfield extended towards the village of Dorchester on Thames, thereby joining the two settlements, which is contrary to the purpose of the Green Belt. ”
See: Inspector's Report on SODC website (external website)
CPRE objects to proposals to build in Green Belt at Berinsfield and Wheatley
8th July 2011
CPRE has objected to SODC's proposals to build in the Green Belt at Berinsfield and Wheatley outlined in its Core Strategy.
SODC's Core Strategy proposes Green Belt reviews at Berinsfield and at Wheatley. The soundness of these proposals is being debated at an Examination in Public during July.
CPRE will be represented at the EiP at which we will argue that the proposals for the Green Belt reviews at Wheatley and Berinsfield are unsound in that no clearly demonstrated “exceptional circumstances” are advanced and that the evidence is flawed and unbalanced, as well as sparse.
Moreover, we will argue that the proposals for the “major developed sites” within the Green Belt need to demonstrate specific conformance to PPG2, i.e. that there will be no greater impact on the Green Belt or the purposes of including land within it than the present or former uses.
See: CPRE's response: SODC Core Strategy examination web page (external website)
Examination into the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy
9th May 2011
The Secretary of State has appointed Mr Roy Foster MA MRTPI of the Planning Inspectorate to conduct the Examination into the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy.
The first hearing session of the examination will open at 10.00 am on Tuesday 12th July and the sessions are expected to last for three weeks.
However, the Inspector has decided to hold an Exploratory Meeting/Pre-Hearing Meeting before the hearing sessions commence. This will take place at 10.00 am on Tuesday 17th May 2011 in the Council Chamber of the Council Offices.
The purpose of the Exploratory Meeting will be to provide the Inspector with an opportunity to discuss issues about the 'soundness' of the strategy with the Council and others so that the way forward for the examination can be determined.
One of the concerns that the Inspector wants to address at the Meeting is Policy CSEN2: Green Belt. In the Inspector's letter, he asks: "Is the CS proposal for local green belt reviews at Wheatley and Berinsfield (to be taken forward in detail through the Site Allocations DPD) founded on evidence of clearly demonstrated ‘exceptional circumstances’? What is that evidence?"
CPRE will be represented at this Meeting and we will argue that there are no 'exceptional circumstances' for reviewing the Green Belt at Wheately and Berinsfield.
See: SODC Core Strategy examination web page (external website)
CPRE calls on SODC to delete proposals for development in the Green Belt from draft Core Strategy
26th January 2011
The South Oxfordshire Districts of CPRE have responded to the SODC consultation on the draft Core Strategy, which closed on 21st January.
CPRE has objected to the section of the draft Core Strategy which proposes development of the Oxford Green Belt at Wheately and Berinsfield.
CPRE has recommended that the Council “delete the proposals for development in the Green Belt at the two villages.”
In its response CPRE writes:
“Both villages are strongly opposed to the proposal for review, seeing no necessity or need sufficient for it to be considered...Not only would local difficulties arise for acceptance of the proposed incursions of development into the Green Belt, but if the proposed local review succeeded the whole basis of many decades of national policy in this field would be eroded, since the whole of Berinsfield together with an undefined area lying outside the current bounds of the village and an undefined area adjacent to Wheatley would be removed from the Green Belt. PPG2 is firm on the necessity for continuing protection of Green Belt land, and the present administration has confirmed its determination to uphold this protection (‘Planning and the environment’. Statement of 30th July 2010.)”
See: CPRE Comments on draft Core Strategy – Green Belt, January 2011 (PDF)
See: CPRE Comments on draft Core Strategy – Larger Villages, January 2011 (PDF)
SODC Consultation on draft Core Strategy
9th December 2010
Following SODC approval of the draft core strategy on 18 November, the District Council has now published this important document for further comment from the public and other interested parties.
To take part in the consultation, go to the SODC website. Anyone wishing to make a comment will have to follow set criteria provided by the Planning Inspectorate, and SODC has set up a telephone helpline to guide residents through this process on: 01491 823 823.
Details on this consultation can also be found at town and parish councils or libraries across the district. The publication period closes on the Friday 21 January 2011 at 4.30 pm. SODC cannot accept any comments received after this date. For further information, contact the Planning Policy on: 01491 823725 or by email.
The publication period closes on the Friday 21 January 2011 at 4.30 pm.
South Oxfordshire District Council approves Core Strategy
22nd November 2010
On 18 November, South Oxfordshire District Council approved their draft Core Strategy for submission to the Secretary of State. This is the document that sets out how the council will help deliver much needed housing, opportunities for high quality jobs and thriving town centres across the district.
Councillors voted 25 in favour, 8 against, with 1 abstention.
In the strategy, following three years work and district-wide public consultation exercises, which CPRE Oxfordshire has participated in, the Council identified the preferred locations for development and where significant change should not take place.
As Didcot is designated as a growth point, a significant amount of development will occur there. The plan sets out some limited development in Henley, Thame and Wallingford to help revitalise and reinforce their roles as market towns.
The Core Strategy makes the following recommendations:
In the larger villages, some development would be allowed to help limit decline and make them strong enough to sustain day-to-day services. The strategy also contains details of the necessary infrastructure needed to support all housing development that takes place.
There will now be a further public consultation period, where people can comment on the soundness of the document. The Council expects to be in a position to submit to the Secretary of State in late March 2011.
The Secretary of State will appoint an independent planning inspector to scrutinise the strategy. The inspector will hold a series of hearings next summer to examine evidence from supporters, objectors and the council. The inspector will produce a report, which the Council expects to receive before the end of 2011. If the inspector decides the core strategy is sound then the Council can go on to adopt it in early 2012.
Following the Council’s decision Angie Paterson, Cabinet member for planning, said:
"Council's decision last night to approve the Core Strategy is a step in the right direction for securing a successful future for South Oxfordshire. Having thoroughly investigated and consulted on the options, and where possible anticipated future changes, we have arrived at these informed recommendations. The good news is the strategy can now move on to the next stage for submission to the secretary of state."
However, there has been strong opposition to some of the proposed plans for new housing in South Oxfordshire. For example, residents and some councillors view the plan by Prupim, part of Prudential Assurance, for housing at Slade End Farm, on the western edge of Wallingford, is inappropriate. They believe it is the wrong site, claiming the development would be too close to neighbouring Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. They also say local roads would not be able to cope with the extra traffic.
See: Homes and Communities Agencies Press Release (external website)
See: South Oxfordshire District Council Press Release (external website)
SODC postpone decision on Core Strategy until after election
18th March 2010
South Oxfordshire District Council has today announced that it will delay consideration of its local development framework core strategy until after the impending general election.
The core strategy is a key document that sets out where major housing development will go. The proposals that the council has consulted on have generated significant debate, particularly in Wallingford and Thame.
It is a general principle, enshrined in the Local Government Act 1986, that councils do not consider controversial issues, with the inherent publicity that they generate, in the period immediately prior to elections.
The council’s cabinet was due to discuss the local development framework at its meeting on the 8 April, just four weeks before the most likely date for the general election. The council’s chief executive, who is also acting returning officer for the two parliamentary constituencies affected by the core strategy proposals, Henley and Wantage, has therefore decided to delay consideration until a later date.
Chief executive of South Oxfordshire District Council, David Buckle said:
“It has become increasingly obvious to me that some of the proposals in the core strategy will become election issues. I cannot stop that but I can avoid fuelling the fires by delaying consideration of the document until after the general election. When that will be is still open to speculation although 6 May seems very likely. If it is 6 May then I envisage that the council’s cabinet will meet in June to make its final decisions.”
See: SODC Press Release (19 November) (external website)
See: SODC draft Core Strategy (external website)
See: SODC Core Strategy review (external website)
See: Wallingford Herald (20 November) (external website)
SODC postpone decision on Core Strategy until after election
18th March 2010
South Oxfordshire District Council has today announced that it will delay consideration of its local development framework core strategy until after the impending general election.
The core strategy is a key document that sets out where major housing development will go. The proposals that the council has consulted on have generated significant debate, particularly in Wallingford and Thame.
It is a general principle, enshrined in the Local Government Act 1986, that councils do not consider controversial issues, with the inherent publicity that they generate, in the period immediately prior to elections.
The council’s cabinet was due to discuss the local development framework at its meeting on the 8 April, just four weeks before the most likely date for the general election. The council’s chief executive, who is also acting returning officer for the two parliamentary constituencies affected by the core strategy proposals, Henley and Wantage, has therefore decided to delay consideration until a later date.
Chief executive of South Oxfordshire District Council, David Buckle said:
“It has become increasingly obvious to me that some of the proposals in the core strategy will become election issues. I cannot stop that but I can avoid fuelling the fires by delaying consideration of the document until after the general election. When that will be is still open to speculation although 6 May seems very likely. If it is 6 May then I envisage that the council’s cabinet will meet in June to make its final decisions.”
See: for more information about the Core Strategy and the timetable (external website)
See: SODC press release (May 2010) (external website)
750 new homes in Wallingford: Where should they go?
24th February 2010
Following SODC's Core Strategy Preferred Options consultation earlier in 2009, there was a large public outcry to its proposals for Wallingford. As a result it appointed Studio REAL (architects and urban planners) who worked with the support of a steering group of representatives from the district, town and parish councils.
Studio REAL have suggested an alternative housing site to those put forward previously. SODC is now re-consulting on the preferred options for Wallingford with the addition of this recommendation.
SODC will be updating its Wallingford Background Assessment once it has received all relevant responses from key consultees, such as Oxfordshire County Council, Highways Authority etc.
This consultation closed on 24th February 2010.
See: more information about the Additional Wallingford Consultation (external website)
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