Frequently asked questions
Draft Cherwell Local Plan Review 2040
What is a Local Plan?
A Local Plan is the starting point for making decisions when developers apply to the council for permission to build new homes, places of work or infrastructure. It provides a vision for the future development of an area and also has to meet national and local objectives.
This means we can make sure new homes, places of work or infrastructure are built in the right places, helping the district grow in the most sustainable locations while also protecting the characteristics of the local area that we all appreciate, such as the landscape, historic environment, and local biodiversity.
How will the Local Plan affect me?
If you live, work in, or visit the district then the Plan will affect you. It will have a big influence on the future availability of housing, help protect the local environment, help make sure you can lead a healthy and active lifestyle in the district and help sustain the local economy.
Why do we need a new Plan?
Councils review their local plans every few years, and we’re working on our new plan, the Draft Local Plan Review 2040. This ensures that the policies the council has are up to date with the latest national planning policies, government targets, and evidence about what the district needs.
When you write a new Local Plan will housing allocations
from the previous Plan be removed?
No. The housing allocations from the Local Plan which was adopted as council policy in 2015 are being retained. The majority of new homes which will be built before 2040 are allocated under the 2015 Plan.
How do you gather evidence to inform the Plan?
We gather evidence from many sources. Where necessary we have commissioned independent expert advice to provide information on housing need, transport and traffic movement, and other subjects.
How can I have my say?
Visit Citizen Space, our consultation platform and create an account.
You can also make submissions by email to planningpolicyconsultation@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or in hard copy to: Planning Policy Consultation, Cherwell District Council, Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, Oxon, OX15 4AA.
Please be aware that you views will only be recorded when you respond by the official consultation channels; comments left on the council’s social media channels cannot be officially counted.
How much consultation has been done so far?
As part of the process of creating the new Local Plan, we’ve held two previous rounds of public consultation. There was an “issues” consultation in September 2020 and “options” consultation in October 2021. The feedback from these consultations is recorded within a ‘consultation statement’.
The Local Plan is really long and technical. Is help available?
Local Plans are technical documents by their nature, but we are committed to making it as easy as possible for people to have their say.
We’ve created a user-friendly leaflet which provides an overview of the Plan and you can also meet someone from our friendly planning team at a consultation event near you this autumn.
In addition we’ve made the current draft Plan as easy to read as possible. It includes summary boxes, maps, and clearly defined summaries of its vision, themes, and spatial strategy.
What are the next steps for the plan?
At the end of the of the consultation period, our team will need some time to work through all of the feedback received. They will consider all of the representations made, will continue to gather further evidence and work towards finalising the Plan by summer 2024 (the regulation 19 stage).
It will receive further scrutiny from elected councillors through the democratic process and with their agreement will be submitted to government and undergo an examination by a government-appointed planning inspector. We currently estimated that a decision to submit the plan for examination won’t happen until 2025.
Are the land allocations in this version of the plan set in stone?
No, the current draft has been prepared for a consultation to prompt discussion and feedback on the Plan’s policies and proposed allocations. The sites are indicative, and we are encouraging members of the public to have their say.
What restrictions are there on what the Local Plan can do?
Our Local Plan has to follow national legislation and policies. The Town and Country Planning Act provides the main legal basis of the English planning system and the National Planning Policy Framework is the key document setting out the government’s planning policies for England. The government sets councils targets including for the amount of land they have allocated for housing and the numbers of new homes they deliver.
How can I find out what the Plan proposes in my area?
Have a look at the summary booklet – it includes summaries of what the Plan proposes for Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington and the other villages in the district. If you are looking at the draft Local Plan document itself, you’ll see that it also includes sections broken down into by area of the district, as well as policy maps.
What is Regulation 18?
This is name given to the stage we are currently at in the process of drafting the Local Plan. It is the consultation phase when we have a draft Plan prepared and are inviting your views on its policies and proposals.
What is Regulation 19?
This is the name given to the stage when the Plan is fully prepared and we publish the version we intend to submit to government to be examined. At this stage we will run another consultation inviting you to have your say.
What is the green belt?
A green belt is a designation of land around certain cities and large built‐up areas. It aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped. Green belts are designated in the council’s Local Plan.
What is Local Green Space?
Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities. The Local Plan or a neighbourhood plan can designate an area as Local Green Space.