30/11/11….BREAKING NEWS: Council’s ‘dismay’ at Inspector’s key change

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has reacted with dismay to a key change to its Core Strategy proposed by a Government appointed planning inspector.

The Core Strategy sets out how many new homes should be built and jobs created in South Oxfordshire by 2027. For the towns of Didcot, Thame and Wallingford it also identifies the sites for development.

The core strategy has been developed over a four-year period with extensive community involvement and technical assessments of the proposed sites.

Recently the core strategy underwent a public examination where the planning inspector heard evidence from local councils, residents and other interested groups and individuals.

The change proposed which causes concern to the council is set out in the inspector?s statement in which he advises that homes at Wallingford should be built to the south, Site E at Winterbrook, rather than to the west, Site B toward Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, the option favoured by the council.

In contrast, the inspector has recognised the importance of community views as far as Thame is concerned. He states that the housing location for Thame should be decided through the new neighbourhood planning process which will involve the town council and local community.

Councillor Angie Paterson, Cabinet member for planning, said: ?It is very difficult to understand how the inspector can say that decisions can be made locally for Thame but not Wallingford.

?I welcome the inspector?s proposal to embrace localism and delegate to Thame the responsibility for finding sites for the new housing and we will be pleased to work closely with local residents and the town council on plans for housing in their area.

?However, I have been taken aback at the inspector?s intention to change sites at Wallingford, especially as his direction goes against local opinion and the views of the town council and other key stakeholders.

“Decisions on housing sites should be made locally by people elected by their communities. This is exactly why we now have the Localism Act.?

Notes to editors:

The correspondence from the Inspector dated 30 November 2011 can be found at: http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/services-and-advice/planning-and-building/planning-policy/core-strategy/core-strategy-examination

The Government appointed Planning Inspector, who has been examining the council?s proposed Core Strategy, has produced some draft conclusions following the hearings held at the beginning of November. These are not his final conclusions, which will be contained in a report that is not expected until next spring. Nonetheless, these draft conclusions provide a strong indication of the Inspector?s likely findings on some key areas.

The principal changes he is proposing are:

the allocation of land to the south of Wallingford for a new greenfield neighbourhood of 555 homes – instead of allocating land to the west of Wallingford, as the council had proposed, and;

for the allocation of land for 775 homes at Thame to be determined through the emerging Neighbourhood Plan – instead of the allocation of land to the north west of Thame for a new greenfield neighbourhood of 600 homes and the allocation of 175 homes through the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
He has also re-affirmed that he does not consider there to be sufficient grounds to change the green belt boundary at Wheatley.

The council is pleased to note:

he does not support those who had called for our Core Strategy to include an allocation for 4,000 homes in the green belt on the south side of Oxford, within our district

he supports our approach to how many homes to allocate to Henley, on sites to be identified through the Site Allocations Development Plan Document

he appears ready to back our proposals to help transform Didcot and to support the success of the Science Vale UK area, through the development of a new greenfield neighbourhood to the north east of Didcot and the development of the Orchard Centre Phase 2.
The next stage is for the council to carry out a sustainability appraisal1 of the Inspector?s draft proposed further changes, for submission to the Inspector. The Inspector will then consider the results of the appraisal before deciding whether to ask the council to advertise the proposed further changes for comment. Before they can be advertised these changes would need to be reported to South Oxfordshire?s Cabinet and Full Council. These meetings are likely to take place in January. The subsequent advertising of the changes will give all with an interest in the core strategy an opportunity to submit comments. These comments will be passed to the Inspector for him to take into account before making his final report.

[1] The sustainability appraisal will ensure that the full environmental, social and economic impacts of the changes are properly considered

SOURCE: Press release 30/11/11