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Rift over decision not to take part in Investment Zones initiative
13/10/2022
The County Council doesn’t want to pay the price of the planning rules being relaxed
A rift between Oxfordshire County and Cherwell District Councils has appeared over the County Council’s decision not to be part of the government’s Investment Zones initiative. Cherwell District Council’s leader, Councillor Barry Wood, has described the decision as “both deeply disappointing and a missed opportunity to bring the right jobs and growth to Oxfordshire”.
The government project involves creating targeted areas where planning regulations would be relaxed in an attempt to drive growth. Cherwell wants to join in, but the County Council doesn’t feel the requirement to relax planning rules fits within its vision.
County Council Leader Councillor Liz Leffman said: “We consider that the de-regularisation of planning controls and reductions in environmental protection, which appear to be a condition of any investment zone, are incompatible with our net zero carbon aspirations and our commitment to protect and enhance biodiversity and environmental quality, as stated in our vision.”
The government’s Investment Zones project will see areas identified where some of the boundaries to new development will be lifted in return for financial incentives.
The government says: “There is a strong expectation that Investment Zones will bring forward additional development, and that they bring forward a mix of both commercial and residential development.
“For developments in the early stages of planning, and to encourage new development to come forward, there will be a new faster and more streamlined consent to grant planning permission. This consent will reduce many of the burdensome requirements which has made the planning of large sites slower and more complex than it should be, to enable developers to bring forward good quality development which responds to the market.”
Benefits to Investment Zones companies include 100% relief from business rates, all of a company’s qualifying first year expenditure paid and employers not needing to pay National Insurance Contributions on some new employees.
The Stamp Duty Land Tax would also be waived in a number of areas including land purchased for development of commercial purposes or housing.
Councillor Leffman has written to Simon Clark, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, to give the reasons why Oxfordshire will not be signing up for the scheme. She said: “Oxfordshire already has a successful and growing local economy built on the strengths of its world leading universities, science and technology base and locational advantages. We continue to support the creation of a high skill, high wage economy, which contributes significantly to the competitiveness of the UK, and we are proud that many of the UK’s leading research and innovation institutions are located here. We do not believe that an investment zone is needed to enhance this.
“Investment zones are better suited to large urban areas with substantial brown-field sites or former industrial areas, which are seeking much needed investment. We are very supportive of the intention to distribute economic advantage across the country and we will be happy to play whatever part we can in advancing this.
“In our letter to the secretary of state, we reiterate our call on government to provide support for infrastructure to support housebuilding. We remain committed to enabling the high levels of housebuilding that have been committed to within existing local plans, and as part of the government’s growth deal, to support our high performing economy. To do this, we need to focus on infrastructure, particularly promoting active travel and public transport and high environmental standards, which will contribute to the nation’s net zero carbon targets and protect the environment that we all rely on to survive.
“Any support government is able to provide to help us achieve balanced communities, with good infrastructure and decent environmental standards, would be welcome.”
But the Leader of Cherwell District Council, Councillor Barry Wood, isn’t happy with the decision, saying that growth and investment are key priorities for Cherwell.
Councillor Wood said: “Today’s decision by Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to decline to submit Expressions of Interest for Investment Zones in the county is both deeply disappointing and a missed opportunity to bring the right jobs and growth to Oxfordshire.
“Cherwell District Council (CDC) is very interested in submitting an Expression of Interest, as growth and investment are key priorities for the council, but under the formal process this has to be made via the county council, which will now not be possible. A great deal of work has gone in to preparing our submission, which makes today’s decision by OCC even more frustrating. How OCC can wait until today to make this bizarre decision is beyond me, especially when they knew how much work was going into CDC’s and other district councils’ submissions for this week’s deadline.
“On hearing of OCC’s decision, I immediately wrote to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities explaining that CDC does not agree at all with OCC’s position. We will be looking at alternative ways of expressing our interest in bringing Investment Zones to Cherwell. We believe in bringing the right jobs and economic growth to our district, and will make every effort to do so despite today’s unhelpful and unnecessary decision.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam