Councils accused of ‘jumping into the Growth Strategy development trough’

THE Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has stated that it believes Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State Housing, Communities and Local Government has no right to intervene as he has, and threaten to pass the South Oxfordshire Local Plan over to the county council.

SEE BACKGROUND STORY https://www.thame.net/archives/59603

In a statement, CPRE state: “South Oxfordshire District Council is right to resist the Growth Board’s grossly disproportionate Growth Strategy involving excessive development across the County, which the other Councils have gone along with for the money on offer from the Government and against the best interests of their own residents.”

The campaign group has accused others councils of ‘jumping into the Growth Strategy development trough’.

The statement goes on: “As we pointed out at the time of the Secretary of State’s original letter of October 9, 2019 (LINK HERE), we do not think he had a right to intervene on the grounds stated. Now, after a four-month delay caused entirely by his own actions, he seems to be searching for multiple grounds on which to base his interference.”

Meanwhile, CPRE Oxfordshire’s Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, asking to see the evidence on which the decision to issue the holding notice was made, has been refused.

CPRE’s full statement HERE

NB The Oxfordshire Growth Board has had to review itself following criticism, among other things, of a lack of consultation with the public and stakeholders. https://www.oxfordshiregrowthboard.org/