Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

There were no items of urgent business.

** Due to the size of the documents, to assist with access and downloading, Appendix 1 is attached to the agenda pack, appendices 2 – 8 are published as supplements to the main agenda **

Report of Assistant Director for Planning and Development

Purpose of report

To present the draft Cherwell Local Plan Review 2040 for scrutiny ahead of its consideration by Executive on 4 September 2023.

Recommendations

The Committee are recommended:

1.1      To review the draft Cherwell Local Plan Review 2040 and identify any comments for consideration by the Executive at its meeting on 4 September 2023.

1.2      To note that the Assistant Director for Planning and Development, will retain delegated authority, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development, to make minor amendments to the draft document, including correcting any typographic or formatting errors, up to the start of the consultation.

Resolved

(1)      That having given due consideration to the draft Local Plan 2040 (Regulation 18), the following comment be made to the Executive:

·                that in line with the carried motion at February 2023 full Council meeting on housing affordability mix, the Local Plan be stronger in terms of the desirability of having more affordable housing in the allocated sites; and delegate to the Chairman to report detailed comments made by Committee to the Executive on the 4 September 2023.

(2)      That it be noted that the Assistant Director for Planning and Development will retain delegated authority, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development, to make minor amendments to the draft document, including correcting any typographic or formatting errors, up to the start of the consultation.

The Assistant Director for Planning and Development submitted a report which presented the draft Cherwell Local Plan 2040 for scrutiny ahead of its consideration by the Executive on 4 September 2023.

The Assistant Director for Planning and Development introduced the draft Local Plan 2040 (Regulation 18) Consultation and advised that the plan had been drafted using a wide range of information including evidence, work with stakeholders and responses from previous consultations.

The Assistant Director for Planning and Development explained to the Committee that the Regulation 18 consultation was an opportunity to present the draft l plan to residents and stakeholders, and to receive meaningful contribution and comment on the details from the interested parties. Engagement would continue over the course of the Local Plan process and further documents to support the Local Plan would be published as part of the public consultation. The responses received during the consultation would be considered by officers and inform any changes prior to the Regulation 19 stage consultation.

The Assistant Director for Planning and Development confirmed that the three key themes listed in the draft local plan had not changed since the last consultation on the Regulation 18 draft plan in January 2023, however minor amendments had been made.

It was advised by the Assistant Director for Planning and Development that if Executive approved the draft for consultation at their meeting on 4 September, the public consultation would start in mid-September and last for six weeks. A communications plan had been established with the Council’s communications team to ensure that there was wide engagement in addition to the statutory consultation requirements.

Following concerns from the Committee regarding distribution of the draft Plan and the amount of information, the Assistant Director for Planning and Development advised that the Members Advisory Group had held meetings and invited all members of the Committee to attend. The early draft version of the plan had been discussed, and subsequently distributed to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee members.

Following a question from the Committee as to whether a feasibility survey had been carried out regarding use of solar power, further to an assessment being referenced in the documentation suggesting wind power was not feasible within Oxfordshire, the Interim Planning Policy Team Leader advised that an assessment had  not been carried out and advised that Oxfordshire County Council were carrying out work ongoing work on climate change. The Interim Planning Policy Team Leader also advised through the Pathways to a Zero Carbon Oxfordshire (PaZCO) workstreams, more work was being carried out to investigate the use of solar power.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding if the Council had scope to include storage of grey water for new developments within the plan, the Interim Planning Policy Team Leader advised that there were elements within the housing policies that covered grey water as well as water efficiency in terms of building standards. The Assistant Director for Planning and Development advised that core policy 8 on Sustainable Drainage Systems (  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.