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Dukes Meadow Drive decision first affected by Labour’s new housing targets
15/01/2025
Decisions will be weighted in developers favour as Cherwell can no longer demonstrate the required 5-year housing land supply
The first effects of the Labour government’s new house building targets look set to be felt locally this Thursday.
A resubmitted application to build another 114 houses on land to the north of Dukes Meadow Drive is being recommended for acceptance, despite an earlier application being rejected by elected councillors.
In a report on the latest application the case officer notes that the announcement by deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner of new, higher house building targets for local councils, Cherwell District Council no longer achieves its minimum 5-year housing land supply figure. This means that far greater weight must be given to the need for building in comparison to other factors which might lead to rejecting an application.
The position could open the floodgates to speculative applications from developers seeking to build on land which otherwise may have been protected from development.
The report further alludes to the Council not currently knowing its current housing land supply figure, although it expects this to have been calculated and published in February.
The officer wrote: “Following the publication of the revised [National Planning Policy Framework] in December 2024, the [Local Planning Authority] can no longer demonstrate a 5 [year housing land supply]. At the time of writing, the [Local Planning Authority] cannot confirm the exact housing land supply position. However, this is currently being calculated and will be included in the updated Annual Monitoring Report which is due to be published in February 2025.”
On Thursday councillors must decide if they agree with the officer’s recommendation to approve Manor Oaks Homes latest application for an additional 114 homes north of Dukes Meadow Drive.
Last August they voted against the idea and Manor Oak Homes appealed to the Planning Inspector. That appeal is currently held in abeyance pending a decision on this latest application.
The developer already has permission to build 78 homes in the fields which sit opposite Lapsley Drive, alongside the sports pitches. They describe this latest application as “the second phase”.
Both Banbury Town Council and Hanwell Parish Council have objected to the application.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam