Agenda

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2026 and to receive information arising from them.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting.

Requests should be submitted to committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

Report by Planning Development Manager

Part retrospective application for the creation of a development platform, erection of a new building and installation and operation of a Combined Heat and Power Plant along with associated landscape works.

It is RECOMMENDED that planning permission for application MW.0027/24 be refused for the following reasons:

a)    The proposed development would potentially divert a substantial proportion of waste currently recycled at the safeguarded Banbury Plant & Skip Hire site into residual waste treatment through incineration. No robust evidence has been provided to demonstrate that this material cannot continue to be managed at a higher tier of the waste hierarchy. The proposal would therefore result in waste moving down the hierarchy, contrary to policy W2 of the OMWCS and the National Planning policy for Waste.
Furthermore, the proposal provides no increase in recycling capacity and does not address the identified shortfall in non‑hazardous waste recycling capacity in Oxfordshire. As no need for additional residual waste treatment capacity has been demonstrated, the development is contrary to policies W1 and W3 of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan – Part 1 Core Strategy.

b)    The proposed development would include greenfield land as the facility would extend waste management operations onto previously undeveloped agricultural land. The applicant has not demonstrated that this would be the most suitable or sustainable option for the proposed development. As such, the proposed development is contrary to policy W5 of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan – Part 1 Core Strategy.

c)    The proposal does not constitute sustainable development. It has not been demonstrated that it would not increase the incineration of waste material capable of being recycled thus moving the management of waste down the waste hierarchy and this is not outweighed by the claimed energy recovery benefits relating to local heat and electricity supply. The development therefore fails to deliver sustainable outcomes and is not sustainable development contrary to policy C1 of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan – Part 1 Core Strategy and policies PSD1 and ESD3 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2031.

In the event that any Member or Officer wishes to discuss the information set out in Agenda Item 6, the Committee will be invited to resolve to exclude the public for the consideration of item 6 by passing a resolution in relation in the following terms:

"that the public be excluded during the consideration of Agenda item 6 since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda".

THE ITEM NAMED HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THEM.

The information in this case is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:

5. Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

To approve the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2026 and to receive information arising from them.