Core Strategy news

We submitted our Core Strategy for independent examination on 18 March 2011. To view the submission documents and find out about the next stages, including the examination, see our submission webpage.

We are now in the examination process.  Independent planning inspector Mr Roy Foster held a public examination into the proposed core strategy in two phases on 19-22 July 2011 and 1-11 November 2011. To view the examination webpage including the statements from those who took part in the hearings, see the examination webpage. The next stage is for the Inspector to prepare his Inspector's report setting out his findings. Following receipt of that report the council can adopt the core strategy, which we expect to take place in spring 2012.

Following our exploratory meeting, held in May 2011, we received initial conclusions from the Inspector.

The findings triggered a publication period on proposed changes to our submitted core strategy.

The core strategy is a very important piece of the planning policy framework.  The council started preparing the Core Strategy in 2007, and we have undertaken several rounds of public consultation to help develop the ideas in it.  It is important that we have a core strategy in place as soon as possible to guide and manage development across the district.  It contains policies against which planning applications are assessed, and sets the major decisions about where large scale new housing and employment development will be in the future.  Our core strategy identifies sites for strategic housing developments in the towns of Didcot, Thame and Wallingford.  

The Government is changing how plans are prepared at the local level, through the Localism Act. This link will take you to an external website... This link will take you to an external website which received Royal Assent on 15 November 2011. The Government produced an essential guide to the Localism Bill, which you can download. The Government has made it very clear that it expects councils to continue to develop Local Development Framework core strategies (see letter from government's Chief Planner, Steve Quartermain, 6 July 2010 attached to the right, and his subsequent letter of 10 November 2010.

In future years we will allocate sites for smaller scale developments in the villages (and at Henley, where we have not been able to find a suitable strategic site) through the next plan we produce.

Further updates on progress will be posted on the council's website as needed to keep everyone informed.