Skip to main content

Agenda item

Local Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2019/20

Purpose

To consider the Council’s Local Plan Annual Monitoring Report for 2019/20.

Recommendation

That the content of the Local Plan Annual Monitoring Report be noted.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received and considered the report of the Planning Policy Manager, which was introduced by the Policy Planner.  It was explained that the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) was structured around the six council priorities. 

The key points of the report were: the gradual decline in CO2 across the district; increased number of charging points; increase in renewable energy; gradual decline of residual household waste; potential lower than usual use of the leisure centres due to Lockdown; there had been progress on the park and ride; there was an increasing trend in the number of people employed in West Oxfordshire, although some loss of employment space to change of use to residential had taken place; approximately £3m was collected in S106 planning obligations, of that £1.2m was for affordable housing;  residential permissions showed a greater proportion of smaller (1 and 2 bedroom homes) against Local Plan guidelines on property size mix, 23% of residential permissions were on previously developed land; 80% of overall planning applications were determined within target timescales.  Cabinet had considered the report and comments had been incorporated into the current report.

Comments and queries from Members related to issues such as:

The review of the Local Plan needed to be open and transparent and the public be made aware of the review and timetable of public engagement.  Officers explained that there were various stages of consultation, which would start at the end of 2021.  Bio-diversity and zero carbon issues would feature highly within the review.

Guidance on the mix of housing needed to be given, including the size of the houses, as concern was expressed that if developers were building a lower proportion of 3 and 4 bed houses, they would shrink the plot size of the smaller houses. Officers explained that the reference to ‘smaller properties’ was in relation only to number of bedrooms compared to Local Plan guidelines and not gross internal area.

Building on the flood plain in relation to climate change would be an important factor within the review. In relation to the climate change section of the report, it was suggested that we need a policy which sets out that we avoid building on the flood plain. The Planning Policy Manager advised that the Local Plan does include a policy which sets out a sequential approach in line with the National Planning Policy Framework and which directs new housing development to areas with lesser risk of flooding.

Meeting the housing need for a changing population, including travellers’ sites and the size of the pitches or plots.  Officers would look into the change in the number of pitches and report back to Members.

The timescale for the S106 planning obligations and how they had been met or delayed was queried.  Officers explained that improvements were being made to the monitoring of the planning obligations currently.

Members reiterated that the process of debate on the Local Plan through Cabinet and onto Full Council should be a better managed process with a more transparent and open debate.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

 

Supporting documents:

 

Related Pages