County Council’s Minerals and Waste Local Plan submitted for examination
8th February 2016
The County Council has submitted the Minerals and Waste Local Plan to the Secretary of State for independent examination. If it is found sound, it could be adopted by November.
The Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Part 1 – Core Strategy contains the new planning strategy and policies for minerals and waste development for Oxfordshire. It sets out the vision, objectives, spatial planning strategy and policies for meeting development requirements for the supply of minerals and the management of waste in the county over the period to 2031.
CPRE Oxfordshire shares the concerns of many local communities that the proposed figures for sharp sand and gravel extraction are vastly exaggerated.
However, despite the draft Plan receiving 636 representations on the document from 157 organisations and individuals, the Council haven’t changed it at all prior to submission.
CPRE Oxfordshire will be continuing to work alongside a number of local community groups to challenge the proposed 42% increase in sharp sand and gravel extraction targets, which we do not believe is a sound figure.
Read CPRE’s response to the consultation on the Plan.
Examination in Public
The Secretary of State has appointed Mr Brian Cook as the Planning Inspector to carry out the independent examination of the plan.
The council has appointed Mrs Helen Wilson as the Programme Officer for the examination.
All information and documentation relating to the examination of the Core Strategy will be placed on a separate examination website managed by the Programme Officer.
The Inspector will consider the representations either in writing or at oral hearings.
The timetable for hearings is not yet available but they are expected to be in May 2016.
The Inspector’s report is expected in August 2016. Provided the Core Strategy has been found to be legally compliant and ‘sound’, the council will then adopt it. This is expected to be in November 2016.
CPRE Oxfordshire, 8 February