Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business relating to matters on the agenda and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman. 

There were no urgent items.

The chairman agreed, in accordance with provisions in council procedure rule 44, to allow councillors to speak for longer than five minutes. Council agreed to suspend council procedure rule 45 insofar as it limits councillors to speaking once.

On behalf of Council the chairman welcomed John Walsh to the Cabinet as deputy leader of the council and Cabinet member for finance.

She thanked those who had attended her recent dinner, at which £2,700 was raised for Oxfordshire Homeless Pathways.

Members of the public who wish to address Council on the agenda item for this meeting must register to do so in writing or by email to democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk no later than 5.00pm on Monday 26 March 2018. 

The chairman advised that a number of members of the public had registered to address Council. She extended the public speaking time to allow each member of the public who had registered to speak three minutes to make their address.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 20 March 2018, will consider a report on the South Oxfordshire Local Plan. 

The report of the head of planning, which Cabinet will consider on 20 March 2018, and supplementary papers, have been circulated to all councillors. Councillors can obtain a hard copy of the report, including the confidential appendix, and the supplementary papers on request from democratic services.

Cabinet’s recommendations will be circulated to all councillors prior to the Council meeting.

If Council wishes to discuss the confidential appendix to the report of the head of planning it will need to vote on the exclusion of the public and press in accordance with the paragraph set out at agenda item 6.

During the course of debate on this item, Council agreed, prior to the expiry of two and a half hours, in accordance with council procedure rule 12, to extend the duration of the meeting by half an hour. 

Toby Pejkovic addressed Council regarding the site allocation at Culham. He referred to the new Objectively Assessed Need figures (OAN) which could reduce the number of houses required in South Oxfordshire and allow for the removal of both the Chalgrove and Culham sites from the Local Plan. He suggested that new housing should be located in towns rather than villages.

Ann Pritchard, Chairman of Chalgrove Parish Council, addressed Council regarding the site allocation at Chalgrove airfield. She stated that the proposed development represented the least sustainable of all the options in the Local Plan and is not deliverable because there is no agreement to sell the site and the airfield is used by the RAF for training purposes and as an emergency airstrip. 

Caroline Baird, representing Culham Parish Council addressed Council regarding the site allocation at Culham.  She stated that the site, within the Green Belt, should be retained as open space to protect against urban sprawl. The site is unsustainable and is only included as a means to fund a river crossing. In her view, the Local Plan would be found unsound by a planning inspector and the council should delay submission until the revised OAN figures are known.

Professor Richard Harding, representing the Campaign to Protect Rural England, addressed Council. He stated that the current plan is undeliverable. The population growth rate in Oxfordshire is not sufficient to justify the proposed level of house building. He suggested that the council should revisit the plan in light of the government’s revised housing numbers, which could reduce both South Oxfordshire’s housing need figures and Oxford City’s unmet housing need figures and reduce the need to build in the Green Belt.

Ken Glendinning, representing Homes England, addressed Council on their commitment to the delivery of the Chalgrove airfield site for the delivery of housing with the required infrastructure, the provision of a school and a healthcare facility. Homes England remain hopeful of an agreement with Martin-Baker but would consider the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO).

Ann Voss, representing Cuxham with Easington Parish, addressed Council regarding the site allocation at Chalgrove airfield. She urged Council to support Option Two as set out in the report of the head of planning. The Chalgrove development would negatively impact on Cuxham, particularly due to the increase in traffic. This impact is recognised by Homes England but the mitigation measures proposed would damage the environment and setting of the village. She questioned the deliverability of the site, the use of CPO powers and the assertion that the housing would address Oxford City’s housing need.

Christian Leigh, representing residents of the Rofford and Little Milton, addressed Council regarding the site allocation at Chalgrove airfield. He questioned the sustainability of the site and the council’s faith in Homes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.