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Agenda item

Oxfordshire Plan Consultation Document

Purpose

To consider the Oxfordshire Plan Consultation Document

and provide comment where necessary.

 

 

Minutes:

Members received a report from the Chief Executive which asked Members to consider the approval of the Oxfordshire Plan consultation document.  This set out a range of planning policy options and a series of spatial strategy options for Oxfordshire. 

 

When complete, the Plan would provide a high level spatial planning framework up to 2050 and would be statutory planning document, supplementing Local Plans.  Members were asked to express a view on the recommendations due to be considered at Cabinet on 21 July 2021.  The Chief Executive, Giles Hughes introduced the report.

Mr Hughes advised that, as the lead senior officer for Oxfordshire, he would work on delivery of the Plan with colleagues across the Oxfordshire Councils. Councillor Haine also sat on the Oxfordshire Plan Advisory Group, alongside fellow Cabinet Members from the other Oxfordshire Councils. He explained that this was an ambitious project for a long term view, and was a notable national piece of work, which had government funding. The Plan was a draft consultation document, looking at options and no key decisions had been made as yet. Requirement at this stage was to obtain approval to consult on the plan and its options. There would be a ten week consultation process, due to start at the end of July, with on-line webinars being delivered. Libraries would also provide accessibility for the public to view the document.

The Chairman suggested that he would go through the document page by page with Councillors indicating when they had feedback or comments, or if a section required further discussion

During consideration of the document, the following key items were noted and discussed:

•                    Final consultation document needed editorial context reviewed to ensure clarity, especially maps and pictorial content

•                    Last review in 1977 resulted in boundary and county changes, affecting political local seats and national seats

•                    Clarification was required on the tight timeframes already agreed by programme team

•                    Councils had different targets for Climate emergency and there was a need to work across Councils to work more closely together to develop a future plan

•                    Offsetting framework mentioned, clarity of the framework would be useful

•                    Light pollution, requirement to protect areas of Dark Skies

•                    Biodiversity net gain, definition required

•                    Appropriate terminology for Traveller and Gypsy communities

•                    Document should not be generic on inclusivity when looking at disability housing needs

•                    Document needed to reflect housing needs for younger people as well as older people

•                    Seemed to have been written towards older people, did not reflect preschool, apprenticeships or post 16 education

•                    Live work units, plan is strategic

 

Having considered the report and discussed the content, it was agreed that the Chief Executive would take into account their comments when the final publication style, editorial corrections and minor amendments were made.

 

Therefore, the Committee

 

Resolved that their comments be forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration.

Supporting documents:

 

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