Oxford Local Plan – Initial Hearings, May/June 2024

The draft Oxford Local Plan 2040 continues to promote an aggressive growth agenda that will offload housing onto its surrounding Districts and the Green Belt, whilst prioritising its own city centre sites for employment. This approach has been challenged by CPRE Oxfordshire, Need not Greed Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire, the Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire District Coiuncils.

Planning Inspectors have now been appointed to examine the Plan. Kevin Ward BA(Hons) MRTPI and Martha Savage BSc(Hons) MCD MRTPI will start to hear evidence on the Plan over the next month or so.

Initial hearings will focus on Procedural/Legal Compliance, the Duty to Co-operate and Housing Need and Requirement.

The Inspectors have published a Matters, Issues and Questions document that outlines the areas they wish to cover. Anyone who responded to the earlier (Reg 19) consultation on the Plan now has the opportunity to submit further comments in response and / or request to participate in the Hearing sessions.

5pm, Friday 17 May – deadline for registering your wish to participate in any of the hearing sessions.

5pm, Friday 24 May – deadline for written submissions to be submitted to the Programme Officer Ian Kemp – Email: ​​ian@localplanservices.co.uk

11 June 2024 – Initial hearings commence

For full information, including the Guidance Notes, Hearing Programme and Matters, Issues and Questions, see the Examination Website – https://www.oxford.gov.uk/local-plan/oxford-local-plan-2040-examination

You can see more about CPRE Oxfordshire’s views on the draft Oxford Local Plan 2040 here.