Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the head of policy and programmes.

The Chair, Councillor Turner, invited Mr Bill Cotton, Corporate Director Environment and Place at Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), to provide Council with an update on the situation from the perspective of Oxfordshire County Council as the applicant. Mr Cotton responded to questions from members. Mr Cotton confirmed that it remained the County Council’s policy to deliver the HIF1 schemes in support of both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district council local plans. In response to a question, he replied that any decision to withdraw the planning application would be a matter for politicians. The HIF1 funding was time limited and therefore any significant reworking of the planning application would impact on the availability of funding from Homes England which remained time limited. Oxfordshire County Council did not have the funds to meet the costs of the identified infrastructure if the funding was no longer available.

Council considered the report of the head of policy and programmes which explained the background to the Housing and Infrastructure Fund (HIF1) in relation to South Oxfordshire District Council and invited Council to consider the implications of the recent Oxfordshire County Council planning application process and its consequences for the HIF1 schemes.

Council noted that the county council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee had voted against the granting of permission for the HIF1 planning application.  The decision notice had not been published.  Council also noted that the application had since been ‘called-in’ by the Secretary of State for the application to be determined by the Planning Inspectorate.  Council noted that a public inquiry was scheduled to commence on 5 December 2023

Councillor Rouane moved, and Councillor Bennett seconded the amendment as set out below.

(a)  Council notes the content of this report,

(b)  Council notes the importance of local decision making,

(c)  Council resolves to request that the Leader write to the Secretary of State to raise the importance of the swift determination of the HIF1 planning application made by Oxfordshire County Council,

(d)  Council welcomes that officers will formally request that South Oxfordshire District Council is made party to the inquiry and that the council’s views are properly represented, in particular:

i    The importance of infrastructure funded by HIF1 to the delivery of housing and economic sites allocated in the adopted Local Plan 2035

ii    South Oxfordshire’s target of becoming a net zero district by 2030

iii   The need for high quality design throughout, as set out in the Design Guide and the Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan

iv   Minimising harmful impact of any scheme on our natural and historic landscape, including the River Thames, and maximising biodiversity

v   Respecting the views of affected communities including both Didcot and the surrounding villages

The majority of members supported the view that Didcot and the surrounding areas required major infrastructure to support the existing housing and the delivery of future housing and economic growth sites identified in the district council’s Local Plan 2035. A number of members expressed a personal view that OCC’s Planning and Regulation Committee had good reasons to refuse the planning application on the grounds of design and impact on the environment. It was their view that alternative options existed in terms of the design of the schemes, their environmental impact and provision of alternative transport options to the car.

Members supported the view that it was important that the council had the opportunity to be a party to the inquiry to reinforce its policies and articulate the views of local people from Didcot and the surrounding villages. It was noted that the district council had made submissions in respect of the planning application to balance the need for infrastructure with the council’s priorities on climate and biodiversity and its own design guide. It was felt important that these issues are known to the inquiry, namely the council’s policies to become net zero by 2030, to minimise the harmful impact of any scheme on the district’s natural and historic landscape and maximise biodiversity.

Some members expressed concern regarding the refusal of planning permission which risked the loss of substantial infrastructure funding to meet the needs of residents and business and a return to speculative planning applications over many years.

Following debate, and being put to the vote, the amendment was declared carried and became the substantive motion.

Councillor Khan moved and Councillor A Macdonald seconded an amendment, set out below, with additional words shown in bold.

(a)  Council notes the content of this report,

(b)  Council notes the importance of local decision making,

(c)  Council resolves to request that the Leader write to the Secretary of State to raise the importance of the swift positive determination of the HIF1 planning application made by Oxfordshire County Council,

(d)  This Council explicitly supports HIF1 and requests it is delivered.

(e)  Council welcomes that officers will formally request that South Oxfordshire District Council is made party to the inquiry and that the council’s views are properly represented, in particular:

i    The importance of infrastructure funded by HIF1 to the delivery of housing and economic sites allocated in the adopted Local Plan 2035

ii    South Oxfordshire’s target of becoming a net zero district by 2030

iii   The need for high quality design throughout, as set out in the Design Guide and the Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan

iv.  Minimising harmful impact of any scheme on our natural and historic landscape, including the River Thames, and maximising biodiversity

v.  Respecting the views of affected communities including both Didcot and the surrounding villages

Those members in support of the amendment expressed the view that the additional words emphasised the importance of HIF1 to secure the required infrastructure for Didcot. However, the majority of members opposed the amendment supporting the view that the proposed inclusion of the word positive in (c) was a step too far as it was not within the council’s gift to tell the Secretary of State how to deal with the call in.  It was also the case that the substantive motion already referenced the council’s clear support for HIF1 and also identified other matters that should be brought to the attention of the inquiry. 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 68, which provides for a recorded vote if three members request one, the chair called for a recorded vote on the amendment which was declared lost with the voting as follows:

On being put the substantive motion was approved.

RESOLVED: To

(a)  note the content of the report of the head of policy and programmes to the  Extraordinary Council meeting held on 29 August 2023,

(b)  note the importance of local decision making,

(c)  request that the Leader write to the Secretary of State to raise the importance of the swift determination of the HIF1 planning application made by Oxfordshire County Council,

(d)  welcome that officers will formally request that South Oxfordshire District Council is made party to the inquiry and that the council’s views are properly represented, in particular:

i    The importance of infrastructure funded by HIF1 to the delivery of housing and economic sites allocated in the adopted Local Plan 2035.

ii    South Oxfordshire’s target of becoming a net zero district by 2030.

iii   The need for high quality design throughout, as set out in the Design Guide and the Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan.

iv   Minimising harmful impact of any scheme on our natural and historic landscape, including the River Thames, and maximising biodiversity.

v   Respecting the views of affected communities including both Didcot and the surrounding villages.