23/06/11…Council to discuss changes to Thame housing numbers

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet will discuss changes to its planning strategy for new houses in Thame and the rest of the district when it meets next Tuesday, June 28.

Cabinet will discuss and make recommendations to Council on proposed changes to the Local Development Framework Core Strategy and associated documents that will go before the Planning Inspection before determining future housing and economic development in the district to 2027.

Cabinet is being asked to recommend that Council approve the Changes to the Submission LDF Core Strategy, the Sustainability Appraisal, and the Appropriate Assessment, and that these documents be published for the statutory six week publication period
under Regulation 27 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008.

Full Council will meet on June 30 to decide on the Cabinet’s recommendations.

The Planning Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the core strategy, has concluded that some parts of the Submission Core Strategy are not
sound, and in particular that the council?s housing strategy is inconsistent with national planning policy. He has invited the council to make the changes necessary to address this issue, before the relevant parts of the core strategy can then proceed to the examination hearings stage of the process.

The concern to be addressed is the reliance the strategy places upon a supply of homes from unallocated sites in years 11-15 of the strategy, to help meet the
council?s housing ambitions to 2027. The change the council must make is to put forward specific allocations from which this supply can be met.

The meet starts at 6pm, and will be held at the council’s offices at Crowmarsh Gifford.