New Local Plan about to move to final stage

26/11/2024

The proposed Plan calculates a requirement to build 911 new homes per year in the district

The latest version of the long awaited new Local Plan will be discussed by the Executive at Cherwell District Council next Monday.

The Local Plan is the document which, when approved, will control how our area develops over the coming years and where housing and commercial building will take place.

A review of the Local Plan began in 2020 with three public consultations having taken place since then.

The latest version of the document aims to focus new development at Bicester, Banbury and – to a lesser extent – in the Kidlington area.   It also includes an ambition to revitalise urban centres and encourage investment, along with green and biodiversity aspirations.

Development sites from the existing local plan will be, in the main, retained, but additional sites for housing will be found in Banbury, with 600 more dwellings to the east of Bloxham Road (South of Salt Way East Phase 2) and 170 on Calthorpe Street.   Another 450 could be accommodated to the south-east of Woodstock, with the villages needing to take their share of 565 homes.

The proposed Plan calculates a requirement for the Cherwell District to build 911 new homes per year.   This will come from existing developments already identified in the current Local Plan and the new sites.   Its noted that the government’s changes to the housing requirement aren’t yet known but are expected to be “within 200 homes of the currently proposed Local Housing Need figure for Cherwell”.

If approved by the Executive an eight-week consultation will begin over the Christmas period. 

The final version of the document will be submitted to the government who will appoint an Inspector to carry out an independent examination.   Should the Inspector agree the document it would become official guidance for local decisions.


Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam

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