Roger Smith, a director in Savills Central Planning team, considers the new iteration of West Oxfordshire’s Local Plan, which is now open to consultation:
The publication of West Oxfordshire District Council’s Local Plan to 2043 sets out what is arguably the most ambitious planning framework the district has seen in recent years.
From housing growth and climate policy to transport infrastructure and economic development, the plan reflects both changing national policy requirements and evolving local priorities.
At its core, the plan seeks to accommodate significant levels of growth across the district, driven by the Government’s revised standard method for calculating housing need, which has increased expectations on local authorities to plan for new homes.
The strategy identifies eight Strategic Locations for Growth (SLGs), primarily focused on Witney and Carterton, with a smaller but still significant allocation in Chipping Norton.
Carterton accounts for the largest share of new housing, with four strategic allocations expected to provide around 3,500 homes over the plan period. Witney is earmarked for approximately 2,100 homes across three strategic locations, while land at London Road in Chipping Norton is proposed for around 750 homes.
Several smaller housing sites are also proposed, including land west of Hanborough Station for 300 dwellings, land at The Downs at Standlake for 200 dwellings and land east of Bampton for 150 dwellings.
New employment sites are proposed at Salt Cross Garden Village, east of Brize Norton SLG, west of Witney SLG and Enstone Airfield.
The concentration of growth around Witney and Carterton has implications for the A40, a longstanding source of congestion. In recognition of this challenge, the Plan proposes a new multi-modal transport corridor, which is likely to focus on measures such as dedicated bus lanes, rather than an entirely new transport system. The real test will be whether infrastructure investment can keep pace with housing delivery.
The draft Plan is particularly ambitious on sustainability, with its proposed net-zero requirements going significantly beyond current Building Regulations. However, these aspirations come at a cost. Combined with increased affordable housing and infrastructure requirements, there is a risk that viability becomes stretched, potentially affecting what sites can realistically deliver.
New references to health and wellbeing largely reinforce existing planning principles, with the emphasis on creating walkable, well-connected communities and reducing reliance on private cars.
Ultimately, this is a Local Plan that combines significant growth with strong environmental objectives. The key challenge over the coming months will be ensuring that those ambitions remain deliverable. As ever, success will depend on finding the right balance between growth, sustainability and viability.
The consultation provides an opportunity for all those interested in the future of West Oxfordshire to get involved in the planning process.
This includes those promoting possible future sites for development, together with those who have concerns that the requirement for net zero development and the consequential increase in build costs will have implications for site viability, as well as the percentage of affordable housing and the amount of other planning benefits that these new sites will be able to provide.
The consultation on the draft Local Plan runs until 9 October 2026.
Image: Savills
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