Appendix 3: Risks associated with the next stages of the Oxfordshire Plan
Issue |
Impact |
Level of risk |
Mitigation |
Further changes to national planning policy and guidance |
· Could require an early review of the plan · Uncertainty over role, status and timing of the Cambridge Oxford Arc Spatial Framework · Consistency with national planning policy is a soundness test (Oxfordshire may be required to meet unmet needs from neighbouring authorities) |
High |
· Agree on transitional arrangements · Written agreement about the consistency of the plan with the spatial framework · Undertake self-soundness test. |
Ensuring close alignment and integration with Local Plan reviews |
· Conformity issue - the Oxfordshire Plan needs to be produced in a timely manner to help inform and run alongside Local Plan reviews · Enable Local Plans to support the delivery of the Oxfordshire Plan |
High |
· Agree on work programme and the commissioning of joint evidence · Update the Local Development Scheme to help inform/steer Local Plan review timescales when appropriate |
Ensuring the duty to cooperate is demonstrated throughout the production of the plan
|
· Need to ensure compliance with the statutory duty · Need to ensure effective plan making |
Low |
· Need to maintain a close working relationship with neighbouring authorities and other prescribed bodies. · Ensure prescribed bodies are continuously involved (as outlined in the Statement of Community Involvement) · Prepare statements of common ground and a duty to cooperate statement |
Resourcing due to changes to personnel and/or increased workload in response to consultation responses and changes to policy or legal requirements |
· Availability of qualified and skilled planning officers with the required specialist knowledge · Maintaining a fully resourced team · Risk of overspend - costs of commissioning new technical evidence · Risk of timetable slippage |
Medium |
· Sharing costs of preparing evidence · Consider use of consultants if financial resources allow · Keep the timetable up to date and under regular review |
Unknown impact of covid-19 pandemic, including future restrictions
|
· Staff sickness / loss of support · Team morale · Lack of face-to-face engagement · Risk of timetable slippage |
Medium |
· The team are set up to work from home, and most activities can be successfully carried out from home · Stakeholder engagement will be carried out online wherever possible but in accordance with the Statement of Community Involvement · New and innovative ways of engagement will be employed. |
Continuous and ongoing member and stakeholder engagement to secure sufficient buy-in |
· Need to ensure effective, coordinated and timely oversight and governance among the six Oxfordshire authorities LPAs, in view of long lead-in times · Need to achieve agreement of key partners at all key stages and on plan strategy and content |
Medium |
· Regular updates on progress to Future Oxfordshire Partnership · Coordination of meetings · Innovative use of online tools · Hold joint collaborative workshops as part of ongoing engagement · Effective duty to cooperate discussions
|
Maintaining an up-to-date evidence base
|
· Interdependencies and sequencing - evidence feeds into other technical work (e.g. modelling) · Relationship with Local Plans and other development plans documents · Complexity of technical work · Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements |
Medium |
· Evidence needs specialist advice from consultants · Set up consultant summits to discuss sequencing of evidence · Prepare background papers |
Risk of timetable delays |
· Operational delay / management of the plan making process (e.g. governance arrangements) · Achieving the agreement of the five councils · Ensuring a sound and legally compliant plan before progressing to examination · Risk of examination delays (e.g. appointment of planning inspector) · Unexpectedly high volume of representations
|
Medium |
· Management structures and oversight · Close working among partner organisations · Regular reports to Future Oxfordshire Partnership and any amendments made to the timetable agreed with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) · Agree the examination timetable with the Planning Inspectorate and appoint a programme officer to support the administration of the examination as early as possible |