Agenda item

To consider the head of policy and programmes’ report.

Cabinet received the regulation 19 draft Joint Local Plan report from the Head of Policy and Programmes. The report summarised the progress made to date with preparation of the Joint Local Plan, including explaining how comments raised during previous public consultations and internal consultation have influenced its structure and content. In addition the report briefed Cabinet on the recommendations for Council, which included agreement that the Joint Local Plan 2041 Publication Version could be published for the purposes of formal Publication (Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012), and thereafter submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination (under Regulation 22), together with the Proposed Joint Local Plan Policies Map (Publication Version 2024), all supporting technical evidence, topic papers and summaries of publication responses received, subject to further nonmaterial changes and corrections authorised by the Head of Policy and Programmes in consultation with the lead portfolio members, and any other proposed changes and corrections authorised by the Head of Policy and Programmes in consultation with the lead portfolio members, and to authorise the Head of Policy and Programmes, after submission, to invite the examining Inspector(s) to recommend any modifications to the Joint Local Plan 2041 that may be required.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Councillor Anne-Marie Simpson, presented the report and highlighted her delight to be presenting such an ambitious and innovative Joint Local Plan which was the result of a decision taken in March 2021 to work with Vale of White Horse District Council to produce a joint plan. She went on to highlight the unprecedented level of member engagement which had fed into the plan presented to Cabinet. The Cabinet member set out the higher policy requirements for new developments under the draft Plan which included a focus on sustainability, nature recovery and dealing with embodied carbon.

The Cabinet member informed Cabinet that whilst the submission of the plan had been accelerated as a result of an invitation from the Deputy Prime Minister to submit within one month of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) coming into force, the vision and ambition of the Plan remained. As a result of this specific window the Joint Local Plan had to be agreed as a whole package as unpicking parts of the Plan at this stage could impact viability and as a result submission within the timeframe would not be possible. If submission was not achieved within the one month window the benefits for the district would be lost. She highlighted to Cabinet that as soon as the plan is submitted for examination to the Planning Inspectorate it begins to gain weight.

Cabinet discussed the report and noted that the Plan reflected the vision of the current administration. Cabinet reflected that the advanced stage at which the Plan was at and the uncertainty of the new NPPF made acceleration of the submission timeline a clear decision. Members highlighted how innovative the policies in the Joint Local Plan were, addressing embodied carbon for instance, as well as pushing for the delivery of the homes people need by increasing the requirement for affordable homes to 50 per cent. Members commented on the ambitious nature of the plan, the fact that the evidence base was there to support these policies and the viability of the Plan. Members thanked officers for their work on the Plan as well as members and members of the public for their engagement with developing the Plan presented to Cabinet.

RESOLVED: to Recommend to Council:

(a) that the Joint Local Plan 2041 Publication Version (Appendix 1), Proposed Joint Local Plan Policies Map Publication Version (Appendix 2) and supporting documents be made available for a six-week period under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012

(b) following the six-week period, to authorise the Head of Policy and Programmes, in consultation with the South Cabinet member for Planning and the Vale Cabinet member for Policy and Programmes, to submit the Joint Local Plan 2041 Publication Version and all associated documents, together with a Statement including how the responses to the Preferred Options Joint Local Plan have been taken into account and a summary of the main issues raised in the publication stage responses, to the Secretary of State for independent examination under Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012

(c) to authorise the Head of Policy and Programmes in consultation with the South Cabinet member for Planning and the Vale Cabinet member for Policy and Programmes, to make non-material changes and corrections to the Joint Local Plan 2041 and supporting documents, to address editorial, typographical and grammatical errors, up to the publicity period

(d) to authorise the Head of Policy and Programmes in consultation with the South Cabinet member for Planning and the Vale Cabinet member for Policy and Programmes, to propose changes and corrections to the Joint Local Plan 2041 and supporting documents, including policy updates, editorial, typographical and grammatical errors, during and following the publicity period, plan submission and during examination

(e) to authorise the Head of Policy and Programmes, once the Joint Local Plan 2041 has been submitted for examination, to invite the examining Inspector(s) to recommend any modifications they consider to be necessary in accordance with section 20(7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

(f) To approve the Joint Local Development Scheme (August 2024), attached at Appendix 3.