A Plan to guide new development and protect north Oxfordshire’s environment is about to be submitted to government.
Published: Tuesday, 22nd July 2025
On Monday, 21 July, a meeting of Cherwell District Council saw the Cherwell Local Plan Review 2042 approved by elected members. Following years of work, the key policy document can now be submitted for independent examination by a government inspector.
Councillor Jean Conway, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development Management, said: “The Local Plan is the overriding vision that guides the decisions we make when developers apply to us for permission to build new homes and infrastructure. The preparation of a new Plan is a methodical and rigorous process, giving us an up-to-date policy framework for development up to the year 2042.
“This new Plan will help us safeguard and enhance local ecosystems, protect Cherwell’s landscape and heritage assets and provide for the homes, affordable housing and infrastructure our residents need in the most sustainable way possible.
“Preparation of the Local Plan has been a priority of this administration and something the executive has worked very hard to support. I am delighted to see this Plan approved by the council and now ready for submission to government.”
To reach this stage, four public consultations have taken place over a number of years, the most recent of which concluded in February.
The government-appointed planning inspector will receive not only the Plan itself, but also all representations made by members of the public and stakeholders during this most recent consultation.
The examination process will include public hearings, with dates determined by the inspector in due course.