Oxford Local Plan 2036 approved by inspectors

The new Local Plan for Oxford is expected to be given final approval next month at a meeting of the city council.

Planning inspectors have approved the plan which runs to 2036 and Oxford City Council is set to rubber stamp it on Monday, June 8.

Key points of the plan include:

Defining where almost 11,000 new homes will be built.
Ambitious carbon reduction policies requiring all new residential developments to be zero carbon by 2030.
Increasing density and height of buildings in centres including Oxford, Cowley Centre, Summertown, Headington, East Oxford (Cowley Road) and Blackbird Leys.
Protecting heritage and parks, open space and waterways.
Encouraging modernisation and intensification of science and business parks

In their report, inspectors Jonathan Bore and Nick Fagan said: “Oxford is a busy, successful city and the plan seeks to strike a balance between the needs of its many important land uses such as housing, employment, educational, recreational, community and other uses, whilst at the same time protecting the character of the city.”

Cllr Alex Hollingsworth, cabinet member for planning and sustainable transport, said: “We are a centre of learning, research and innovation on a global scale, and we have much of which we can be rightly proud.

“But we are also a city where inequality is stark – where decent and affordable housing is out of reach for so many of our citizens, where the street you grew up in defines your life expectancy, and where poor air quality damages all our health.

“This new Local Plan determines the homes, jobs, community facilities and infrastructure for the next 20 years, striking the right balance between the different pressures that Oxford and its people face.

“It makes a priority of providing affordable new homes, and high quality jobs, so that young people can afford to live and work in their home city.

“It focuses growth and development on district centres, not just on the city centre, to make sure that shops, community centres and facilities are close to homes, and it prioritises walking, cycling and public transport to help tackle congestion and pollution on our streets.”

For the full report visit: www.oxford.gov.uk/oxfordlocalplan.

Image By Chensiyuan – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52257860