The public examination of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2034 is set to enter its third week on Tuesday 28 July when discussions will focus on strategic sites which have been put forward as potential development areas in the emerging Plan.
On Tuesday the focus will be on Chalgrove Airfield, on Wednesday the examination will consider land adjacent to Culham Science Centre and south of Grenoble Road; and on Thursday the discussion will move on to land at Northfield and at Berinsfield. Week Three will then conclude on Friday 31 July by looking at land north of Bayswater Brook.
Cllr Anne-Marie Simpson, Cabinet Member for Planning at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “I know there will be a lot of interest in the strategic sites part of the examination so I hope people will continue to take the opportunity to view the sessions online each day to hear what’s being discussed.”
The South Oxfordshire examination is led by an independent Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State, and is the first in the country to be carried out online by the Planning Inspectorate following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Local Plan will play a big role in the future of the district by helping to determine the growth of the area, including where new housing and employment developments can go.
The programme for Week Three is as follows:
Tuesday 28 July:
- 10am - Inspector’s announcements; Matter 11: STRAT7: Chalgrove Airfield
- 2pm - Reserved for Matter 11 if necessary
Wednesday 29 July:
- 10am - Matter 12: STRAT8 and STRAT9: Land at/adjacent to Culham Science Centre
- 2pm - Matter 13: STRAT11: Land south of Grenoble Road
Thursday 30 July:
- 10am - Matter 14: STRAT12: Land at Northfield
- 2pm - Matter 15: STRAT10: Land at Berinsfield
Friday 31 July:
- 10am - Matter 16: STRAT13: Land north of Bayswater Brook; Inspector’s announcements
Watch the proceedings live
You can view the live feed online by visiting the examination hearing’s YouTube page.
The examination is scheduled to last four weeks. Once the Hearings have concluded, the Inspector may suggest changes for consultation prior to producing an Inspector’s Report later this year on how to finalise the local plan, before it is brought to councillors for a decision on adoption.
For further information please visit – southoxon.gov.uk/examination.
What’s happened so far:
During Week Two of the examination there were more than 1,659 views of the live sessions via the hearing’s YouTube feed, with around 700 individuals tuning in to watch and almost 200 now subscribed to watch the proceedings.
Matters discussed during Week Two (21-24 July) included: Spatial Strategy, Green Belt, Infrastructure, Climate change mitigation and Employment development. Contributors invited to speak included 72 organisations, public bodies and individuals.
Matters discussed during Week One (14-17 July) covered: Housing requirement, Housing trajectory and housing supply, Housing for everyone, and Design and Density. Contributors invited to speak included 56 organisations, public bodies and individuals.
