Call to boycott district council’s Local Plan Inspection

THE campaign group, A Better South Oxfordshire is calling upon South Oxfordshire District Council to boycott the inspection process of its local plan which is due to begin on-line in July.

The appointed inspector, Jonathan Bore, is the same inspector who recently approved the Oxford City Council local plan despite controversy over the accuracy of Oxford City’s projected housing need. A Better South Oxfordshire is also asking Oxford City Council to delay any decisions they may make about the adoption of their local plan, pointing out that any legal action appealing against the decision could be costly to the council should they vote to adopt it.

A Better South Oxfordshire, in a statement, said that they are concerned about the integrity of SODC’s upcoming inspection on several grounds: –

• Arrangements for the inspection to be held on-line in a virtual meeting are not public consultation.
• The virtual inspection procedure should be postponed until such a time that a full public session can be held.
• Inspector Jonathan Bore undertook the recent inspection into Oxford City’s local plan. Some of his conclusions in relation to Oxford City’s supposed housing need were baffling and inconsistent with some of the evidence presented.
• Inspector Bore’s interpretation of Oxford City’s housing need will have considerable influence upon evidence submitted about South Oxfordshire. Mr. Bore will then have pre-judged this issue.
• The neutrality and objectivity of the inspection process has been undermined by the past actions and pronouncements of the secretary of state Robert Jenrick. His written communications with South Oxfordshire District Council demonstrate he has already made up his mind about the outcome he wishes to achieve.
• Actions undertaken by the secretary of state, specifically the unlawful decision he made to grant planning permission to a property developer in Tower Hamlets, the granting of recent contracts without open tender to the company Faculty and his breaking of Covid 19 lockdown government rules undermine his trustworthiness and show a lack of judgement.
• The local plan inspection process is not fit for purpose and is essentially an exercise to pretend that local communities have an input into decisions that have already be taken by the executive.
  
  Finally, stated A Better South Oxfordshire,:”The procedure is a sham.”