Summary
We are inviting comments on an emerging set of policies and development proposals to help us consider:
- What is welcome/unwelcome and why?
- Have we missed anything?
- Could the plan be improved?
- Does the draft Plan meet Cherwell’s needs?
The draft Plan is supported by technical evidence made available alongside this consultation. More will follow the consultation as we consider all the comments received.
We have had regard to national policy and guidance and feedback we received from two earlier consultations in 2020 and 2021. ‘Statements of Consultation’ summarising the comments and suggestions made are also available to support the current consultation.
We have sought to consider the needs of the district and the issues it faces. Our planning policies must respond by facilitating and guiding development so that it helps support our communities, create opportunities for all, improve our places to live and work, respond to challenges such as climate change and protect our environment, landscape and built heritage.
The draft Plan sets out a vision and proposes homes, employment land, infrastructure and other essential services required to support the local community over the Plan period.
The emerging Plan has three overarching themes:
- Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change and Ensuring Sustainable Development
- Maintaining and Developing a Sustainable Local Economy
- Building Healthy and Sustainable Communities
The draft Plan suggests a series of objectives for meeting the vision and addressing these themes.
It presents a draft strategy, draft policies, and proposals for meeting these objectives and delivering the vision.
In summary the draft strategy is to:
- Ensure that our committed growth is delivered;
- Focus new development at Bicester and to a lesser extent at Banbury;
- Revitalise our urban centres and encourage investment;
- Raise the design quality of our built and ‘green’ environments;
- Minimise carbon emissions and achieve set net gains in biodiversity; wherever possible in delivering new development.
The strategy is supported by area strategies for Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington, Heyford Park, and our Rural Areas.
We are also proposing a number of strategic development policies to complement the core policies. Most will apply across the district and will inform and guide development to ensure it is well-designed and reflects the overarching themes and Plan objectives.
Chapter 1: Introduction
What is the role of a Local Plan?
1.1. A Local Plan is the statutory starting point for making planning decisions. It provides a vision and a policy framework for the future development of an area. It provides for new development to meet the needs of the district and establishes planning policies to guide that development such that it delivers the vision and meets national and local objectives.
How is the Local Plan Prepared?
1.2. A Local Plan is prepared by considering the economic, environmental and social context of the district and its development needs. We have national planning policy to comply with and national guidance to consider. We engage early in the process on the issues and options we need to examine and do this with the benefit of technical evidence.
1.3. We must consider strategic priorities that extend beyond the district’s boundaries and consider the wider context for the Plan. We cooperate with neighbouring authorities and partners and consult with infrastructure providers. We seek the input of our local communities and all those with an interest in the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the district.
1.4. We consult on the proposed Plan before it is submitted to the Government for independent examination. The final Plan is presented to the Council for adoption, at which point it becomes part of the statutory ‘Development Plan’ which includes Neighbourhood Plans and the County Council’s Minerals and Waste Plans.
What stage of preparation are we at?
1.5. We are still preparing, gathering evidence and considering our options. However, we are consulting now on emerging proposals to help us prepare a robust Plan. We are at what is known as ‘Regulation 18’ stage – a reference to the Local Plan regulations which we must comply with.
1.6. Following this consultation, we will prepare the proposed or pre-submission Plan – the ‘Regulation 19’ stage. That will also be published for comment and all observations received will be submitted with that Plan to the Government for consideration as part of the Plan’s examination.
What consultation has there been so far?
1.7. There were two public consultations prior to the current one:
- Planning for Cherwell to 2040 – A community involvement paper (July 2020);
- Planning for Cherwell – Community Involvement Paper 2: Developing our Options (September 2021).
What time period does the Plan cover?
1.8. The draft Plan covers the period 2020-2040. However, the Plan should include at least fifteen years’ supply of new housing from the point at which the Plan is adopted by the Council. There is some uncertainty when exactly that will be and so we may need to extend the Plan period beyond 2040, perhaps to 2042 or 2045.
Question 1: Do you have a view on the Plan period?
How is this consultation draft of the Plan structured?
1.9. This initial consultation draft of the Plan has:
- A proposed vision;
- Proposed objectives for meeting that vision;
- A strategy and area strategies;
- Suggested core policies and more specific policies for achieving those objectives including potential allocations of land for development;
- A suggested delivery framework including a draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
1.10. There are also three themes running through this emerging Plan:
Theme One
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change and Ensuring Sustainable Development
- Connectivity and Transport
- Sustainable Design and Construction and Renewable Energy
- Flood Risk
- Natural Resources
- Landscape
- Green Infrastructure
- Biodiversity
Theme Two
Maintaining and Developing a Sustainable Local Economy
- Employment
- Tourism
- Town Centres & Retail
- Education
- Utilities and Infrastructure
Theme Three
Building Healthy and Sustainable Communities
- Achieving Well Designed and Healthy Places
- Housing
- Historic Environment
1.11. We are still developing the Plan and welcome comments on its presentation.
Question 2: How could we improve presentation of the Plan?
How will the Local Plan be implemented?
1.12. Determining planning applications is the main way in which the Local Plan will be implemented. Planning decisions must have regard to the statutory Development Plan. Planning permissions for major developments are often accompanied by legal agreements which secure the necessary infrastructure for a particular development. We are also working on a Community Infrastructure Levy which is another means of securing funding.
1.13. We can only require infrastructure necessary and appropriate for the development proposed and the economic viability of its provision must be considered by the Local Plan. A viability assessment of the final, proposed Plan will support the next consultation. Wider infrastructure needs must be met by the relevant infrastructure providers themselves. Government funding can sometimes be accessed to support the delivery of critical, strategic infrastructure. The Plan’s draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan sets out the current thinking of what will be needed to support the Plan.
How will we know if the Local Plan is successful?
1.14. We produce monitoring reports each year on the delivery of new development and the effectiveness of our Local Plans. We can review the Plan if there is a significant change in circumstances and we should, in any case, review it at least every five years.
How does the emerging Plan affect existing Local Plans?
1.15. We have existing planning policies in three Local Plans:
- The remaining saved policies of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996;
- The Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031;
- The Partial Review of the Local Plan 2020.
1.16. In preparing a new Plan, we wish to develop new planning policies to put us in the strongest position to respond to challenges associated with climate change, to enhance biodiversity, to meet our development needs and strengthen our local economy.
1.17. When we prepare our final proposed Plan we will need to determine which policies from existing Plans continue to help us in meeting our vision and objectives and which should be retained/saved.
1.18. We start to do that with this draft Plan and summarise our current thinking in Appendix 1 – Retained Policies List.