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ITEM EX 19

EXECUTIVE – 22 JANUARY 2002

OXFORDSHIRE STRUCTURE PLAN REVIEW – DRAFT ISSUES PAPER

Report by Director of Environmental Services

1. A draft paper which sets out the main issues for the Structure Plan review and broad options for the distribution of development is attached (Annex 1). A draft was considered by the informal Structure Plan Working Group on 14 December 2001 and the comments of the Group have been taken into account.
2. The Executive is asked to consider the draft and is recommended to approve it for public consultation in the Spring.

The Review of the Structure Plan

3. The Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2011 was adopted in August 1998 and the alteration to policy H1 concerning housing development at Didcot was adopted in April 2001. New Regional Planning Guidance for the South East upto 2016 (RPG9) was published in March 2001, prompting the need to review the Structure Plan.
4. In December the Government published a Green Paper which proposes a fundamental change to the planning system including the abolition of structure plans. The green paper says that until the necessary legislation is introduced, authorities should fulfil their statutory obligations and carry out reviews of structure plans.
5. The provisional timetable for reviewing the Structure Plan is as follows:

March/April 2002 Pre-deposit consultation – issues paper

Winter 2002 Draft Structure Plan on deposit

Summer 2003 Examination in Public

Spring 2004 Proposed modifications on deposit

Autumn 2004 Adoption

The Draft Issues Paper

6. The issues paper and associated consultation exercise are intended to generate a widespread debate about the future direction of planning for development in Oxfordshire. The paper highlights the fundamental issue of the right balance between the sustainable development objectives of social progress, environmental protection and prudent use of natural resources and maintaining economic growth and employment. In particular, the draft highlights the issue of how to support a successful and growing economy without fuelling pressures on the supply of housing, adding to congestion and infrastructure problems, and damaging the environment of the County which contributes towards that success. It also highlights concerns about the future provision of affordable housing, including housing for workers who are key to the maintenance of a prosperous economy.
7. The paper sets out the broad options for the future location of development based on a sequential search approach outlined in Government planning guidance: development within urban areas, urban extensions and new free standing or large scale additions to existing settlements in good public transport corridors. As Oxfordshire has relatively few urban areas it will be necessary to consider greenfield development to accommodate the housing that the Government expects Oxfordshire to provide.
8. The paper will include preliminary results from the urban capacity study of settlements over 5,000 population that is being undertaken with the district councils. Further work is in progress to finalise an estimate. The work so far points to less than a third of Oxfordshire’s housing requirement being accommodated within the main settlements.
9. Government planning guidance requires an environmental or sustainability appraisal of emerging policies and proposals to be undertaken as the plan is reviewed. An initial appraisal of the broad options against the draft objectives in the issues paper was carried out by officers following the meeting of the Working Group and the results of that exercise have been taken into account in the draft. A few changes have also been made to the draft objectives since the Working Group met, in particular, with the addition of objectives covering soils and agricultural land, safe and attractive places to live and waste minimisation.
10. The County Council’s Consultation Officer has suggested that further consideration is given to how the paper will be presented to the public, particularly in terms of the use of plain English and the questions which are asked in the paper for public comment. Consideration is being given to other presentational issues including the design, layout and inclusion of key facts and figures and appropriate illustrations, photographs and diagrams. A consultation programme is also being developed. I suggest that I finalise presentation and consultation details in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Waste Management.

Environmental Implications

11. The purpose of the Structure Plan is to provide for necessary development in a way that is sustainable. Concern for the environment is thus at the heart of the plan. A sustainability appraisal of emerging policies and proposals will be carried out at key stages in the review.

Financial and Staff Implications

12. The review of the Structure Plan is part of the normal processes of the Council and can be met from existing resources. Specific provisions have been included in the budget to cover the potential costs of consultation, an examination in public and use of consultants.

RECOMMENDATIONS

13. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. approve the draft issues paper for publication;
2. authorise the Director of Environmental Services to make presentational and minor textual changes to the document prior to publication, following consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Waste Management if there are any substantive changes he considers necessary; and
3. authorise the Director of Environmental Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Waste Management, to finalise and implement a consultation programme for the issues stage of the review of the Structure Plan.

January 2002