Issue - meetings

** Please note, due to the size of the documents, the cover report and appendices 1 and 2 are published as part of the main agenda pack. Appendices 3 – 8 have been published as a series of separate supplements to the main agenda pack **

Report of Assistant Director – Planning and Development

Purpose of report

To consider the approval of the Oxfordshire Plan consultation document which sets out a range of planning policy options and a series of spatial strategy options for Oxfordshire. 

When complete the Oxfordshire Plan will provide a high-level spatial planning framework for Oxfordshire up to 2050 and will be a statutory Local Plan. The Plan aims to be transformational and occupies new policy areas, such as on climate change, environmental betterment, health impacts and zero carbon transport.  It has now reached the Regulation 18 Part 2 stage.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To approve the Regulation 18 (Part 2) consultation document for public consultation as attached at Appendix 1.

1.2         To adopt an updated Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) as attached at Appendix 2, which will become the formal basis for the forthcoming Regulation 18 Part 2 consultation.

1.3         To authorise the Assistant Director to make any necessary editorial corrections and minor amendments to the attached documents, and to agree the final publication style, in liaison with the Lead Member for Planning and subject to agreement with their counterparts in the other four partner Local Planning Authorities. 

Resolved

(1)          That the Regulation 18 (Part 2) consultation document (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved for public consultation.

(2)          That an updated Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book), which will become the formal basis for the forthcoming Regulation 18 Part 2 consultation be adopted.

(3)          That the Assistant Director be authorised to make any necessary editorial corrections and minor amendments to the documents, and to agree the final publication style, in liaison with the Lead Member for Planning and subject to agreement with their counterparts in the other four partner Local Planning Authorities. 

The Assistant Director – Planning and Development submitted a report for Executive to consider the approval of the Oxfordshire Plan consultation document which sets out a range of planning policy options and a series of spatial strategy options for Oxfordshire. 

When complete the Oxfordshire Plan will provide a high-level spatial planning framework for Oxfordshire up to 2050 and will be a statutory Local Plan. The Plan aims to be transformational and occupies new policy areas, such as on climate change, environmental betterment, health impacts and zero carbon transport. It has now reached the Regulation 18 Part 2 stage.

Sir David Gilmour, on behalf of CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) Oxford, addressed Executive.

Councillor Wallis, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, addressed Executive to present the feedback of the Committee which had considered the report at its 14 July 2021 meeting. Detailed feedback (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) had been sent to the Leader and Lead Member for Planning, who had also been in attendance at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.

Councillor Wallis summarised the key feedback from the Committee advising  Executive that the Committee had raised concerns about the volume of information relating to the consultation and time Members had to review (whilst acknowledging it was available withing the legal agenda publication timescales) and felt it was not possible to sufficiently scrutinise the documentation in the available time. The Committee had requested that there be a clear communications strategy to include progress updates to the Committee and briefings for all Members.

The Chairman thanked the Councillor Wallis and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their feedback.

Councillor Woodcock, Leader of the Labour Group and a Cherwell District Council representative on the Oxfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Panel, advised Executive that the Panel had raised concerns about the consultation process. Whilst Town/Parish Councils were listed as a consultee, it was recommended that they could be asked to help widen engagement amongst people within their areas.

In response to Councillor Woodcock’s comments, the Lead Member for Planning explained that the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Sub-Group had noted the comments and, where necessary, additional information, including small supplement would be provided to Town/Parish Councils about how they can get involved in the consultation.

Resolved

(1)          That the Regulation 18 (Part 2) consultation document (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved for public consultation.

(2)          That an updated Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book), which will become the formal basis for the forthcoming Regulation 18 Part 2 consultation be adopted.

(3)          That the Assistant Director be authorised to make any necessary editorial corrections and minor amendments to the documents, and to agree the final publication style, in liaison with the Lead Member for Planning and subject to agreement with their counterparts in the other four partner Local Planning Authorities. 

Reasons

The Oxfordshire Plan is a joint Local Plan being prepared  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37