David Bainbridge, a planning director for Savills Oxford, explains what last week’s decision by inspectors to recommend withdrawal of the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils Joint Local Plan means for future development across the region.  

In December 2024, South Oxfordshire District Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council submitted their Joint Local Plan 2041 to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

This was the culmination of years of work preparing evidence and consulting on proposals for development, infrastructure and the natural environment.

In total the Joint Local Plan proposed around 40,000 new homes across both districts and employment land. This was set in the context of the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, under which all of the Oxfordshire councils committed to plan for 100,000 new homes by 2031.

Two experienced planning inspectors were appointed to undertake the examination and then chaired examination hearings, which took place in Milton Park in June.

They decided to hold just initial hearings on matters such as legal compliance, rather than spend more time on detailed aspects. Participants made their cases, with some objecting and some supportive of the proposals as submitted. This is where the examination paused, pending an update from the inspectors.

In a letter dated September 26, 2025, the inspectors found the joint Local Plan does not meet the ‘duty to cooperate’, which cannot be remedied during the examination process.  This is primarily due to the unmet housing need for Oxford City going beyond the year 2031.

The inspectors have stated there are two options open to the councils – to either withdraw the joint Local Plan from the examination, or ask the inspectors to write a report setting out their conclusions.

But this latter option would incur further expense, and the contents of the report would likely also lead to withdrawal of the plan.

The councils have issued a joint press release stating that they are disheartened and very disappointed that the planning inspectors have recommended withdrawal of the plan from the examination process over what they describe as a ‘single issue’, and that the councils are in discussions about the next steps and will provide a further update in due course.

This is a significant set-back for planning for development in the South of Oxfordshire and has wider implications for the county in a time of pending local government reorganisation and devolution.

Withdrawal of the joint Local Plan now might result in years of delay with the prospect of new local governance to be in place within the next two to three years.

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