Cherwell District Council is taking decisive action to tackle delays in the delivery of new homes in north Oxfordshire.
Published: Monday, 3rd February 2025
Currently, Cherwell has over 8,000 homes with planning permission and awaiting construction. The council will create a new housing delivery action plan to speed up progress and support sustainable growth in the district.
The announcement comes as Cherwell’s latest Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) highlights significant progress in delivering affordable housing (266 homes in 2023/24) and notes that action is required to meet its five-year housing land supply requirements.
Cherwell has a positive record of housing delivery. Between 2015 and 2024, the district achieved an annual average of 1,229 new homes. Delivery dropped to 805 homes in 2023/24, reflecting market conditions.
Under the government’s new National Planning Policy Framework, a new standard method for calculating housing need applies. Cherwell’s need has been increased from 706 homes per year to 1,118. Recent decisions by the Planning Inspectorate mean that sites planned to help Oxford’s housing needs must also be factored into an overall assessment of housing land supply. The result is that the district can only presently demonstrate a forward supply of 2.3 years rather than five years.
Councillor Jean Conway, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development Management, said: “With over 8,000 homes with permission and a new Local Plan on the way, it is frustrating that the government has reintroduced a requirement to continuously demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
“Despite Cherwell’s track record of delivery, the government’s changes mean that we return to the days when we must permit more development if housebuilders are unable to deliver at the necessary rate. This comes as we are doing the right thing by advancing a new Local Plan.”
The new Local Plan will need to show that it can provide a five-year deliverable housing supply when examined by an independent inspector. In the meantime, the AMR proactively commits to preparing a housing delivery action plan to ensure the council does everything reasonably possible to deliver high-quality housing in the right locations.
Councillor Conway added: “Our action plan will bring a renewed focus on sites with planning permission, ensure developers show clear evidence of delivery when submitting plans, and address any barriers slowing construction. This is about delivering the homes our communities need while maintaining sustainable growth.
“We will do all we can to ensure that development happens in the right locations, to a high standard, and with the necessary supporting infrastructure, while protecting our heritage assets and green spaces.”
The council’s executive is expected to approve the creation of the housing delivery action plan at a meeting on Monday, 3 February, when it also considers the findings of the AMR.