What’s different about this Local Plan consultation?

The final working draft of the Vale’s Local Plan 2031 Pt 1 is published ( http://whitehorsedc.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=103&MId=1883 and scroll down to item 5). It’s being tidied up in preparation for submission to the Sec of State for approval. Before it’s submitted, there’s one more consultation. It’s a little bit different to other consultations.

For THIS consultation, comments are sent to the examining inspector associated with the Secretary of State, rather than to the local council. There’s a six week consultation and then a several months long examination before approval. Or non-approval. (I don’t know how that works. )

For THIS consultation, no substantive changes to the Local Plan 2031 Pt 1 are allowed after. Essentially, the Vale administration are publishing a Local Plan they are happy to live with and take forward for adoption. (Not including typos and any sort of unclear wording of course.)

So far, I have two main areas of concern

  1. Changes to the boundaries of the Oxford Green Belt that fall within the Vale. (I think there should be a collabortive, joined up review by all authorities who have Oxford Green Belt land within their boundaries.)
  2. Designation of Botley as a ‘district centre in the context of Oxford city’. I don’t know what this means, and no one has thus far answered my question about it. (But I have a suspicion it has to do with justification for the proposed student housing, which does nothing to help the people of Botley or the Vale.)

At this point, I’m not supportive of the Tories’s Local Plan 2013 Pt 1.

Cumnor Green Belt still under threat

Last night I attended my second briefing on the new draft of the Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031 Part 1.

My previous enthusiasm that the Cumnor site had been saved is now diminished.

It HAS been saved from immediate, large-scale development — it’s been removed from Local Plan’s ‘strategic’ sites list. (Stragetic sites are where 200 or more houses are planned.)

But the Local Plan still would still remove the site from the Green Belt, which would make it available for development, either by a speculative planning application being registered, or from it being included in the smaller housing sites proposed in Local Plan Part 2 (in about 2 years’ time).

I’m against piecemeal nibbling away at the Green Belt. I think all authorities with Oxford Green Belt land within their boundaries should work together on a comprehensive review so that decisions are consistent and for everyone. It’s worth noting that, by legislation, the Green Belt can only be built on in ‘exceptional’ circumstances, and housing need is explicitly not an exceptional circumstance. The only way the Tories can build on Green Belt Land is to take the land out of the Green Belt so that it loses its protection.

So far, I’m not inclined to support the Tories’ Local Plan 2031 Pt1.

 

 

 

 

Local Plan Consultation Results?

16 July 2014 full council meeting.

Question from Councillor Debby Hallett to Councill Mike Murray, Cabinet member for planning policy:

The Vale consulted on its draft Local Plan 2029 in February 2013. How many responses were received, and could the Cabinet member please tell me when the consequentional changes made to the first draft Local Plan 2029 will be made public, and how he intends to highlight what has changed between the drafts?

He said, and I scribbled:

Report was published Feb 2014 that told us 2340 reponses from 500 people and organisations. The next draft will be published later this year. The consequential changes will be part of that draft.

My supplementary question:

What does the Cabinet member see as the purpose of his Local Plan Consultations? That is, what is the overall intention of Consultations?

He repeated the official line, that’s it’s to get opinion of the public to inform decision making.

My bet is that Doric’s contribution to the Local Plan 2029 we consulted on will still be in there, in spite of many of us reponsing that it wasn’t our vision for Botley.

I’ve also sent a query as to the status of Oxford Brooks University’s Master Plan. It was in the first draft as a Supplementary Planning Document, but was put on hold in July 2013.

13 Cumnor Hill – a win for the people

Last night the Vale Planning Committee voted to refuse permission to build the mega-block of flats on the corner of Cumnor Hill and Hurst Rise Road.

Councillors felt that the applicant’s introduction of the idea of this site as a special landmark corner, and a transition between the Cumnor and Botley areas, was a ploy to exempt them from having to adhere to planning policy. The applicants put the case that since this is a special, landmark location, it deserves a special landmark building such as their design for three storeys of flats and roof gardens.

Councillor Janet Shelley asked her colleagues on committee, ‘If it’s such a landmark design, why do they need to hide it behind so many trees?’ (Laughter.)

Speaking against the plans were Cllr Julia Hammett of the North Hinksey Parish Council, Melanie Jackson Smith, representing the community of homeoners who objected, and me, representing the people of North Hinksey & Wytham, but also looking out for the future of the Vale.

If we let a developer call a corner ‘special’ and then allow him to breach every policy and design guideline we have, it would mean everyone would be looking around for such special corners in their area where they could essentially build anything they want. That’s a road we do not want to travel!

A win for the people. Well, done, everyone!

West Way Design Review Panel meeting

A panel of consultant architects met on 3 June at Botley Baptist Church to review the West Way designs.

There were 5 on the panel: four architects and one who was taking copious notes from which the report will be generated in a couple of weeks. This wasn’t a public meeting, but rather a part of the professional consultations the Vale Planning Department holds for major applications. The Vale invited me to attend as an observer. (It was SUCH a challenge at times for me to be silent.)

All in all, I counted 28 people in attendance. I had thought no one from Doric was there (it was all Mace, plus consultants who had worked on the designs for Doric). But I’m informed Mr Fasier of Doric arrived late and was somewhere behind me, so I didn’t see him. Actually, I may have seen him, but I wouldn’t know him; I’ve never met him that I know of, and he’s not exactly been visible in the neighbourhood.

Anyway.

In the morning they took a tour of the site. In the afternoon, we saw Mace’s presentation, and the panel asked questions.

Here’s a sample:

– Why student housing?

– What does the community feel about this proposal?

– Isn’t this more of an urban design planned for this suburban area?

– What about the experience of residents of Arthray Road? How can you help to make this less of a bad experience for them?

– It’s hard to understand what’s the front and what’s the back.

– panel members thought the parts that show on the street front (I can’t recall the jargon, but it was pervasive) were too varied, too messy and not showing enough distinctive character. They thought this plan could be plunked down anywhere, and they asked made it distinct to Botley.

– Concern about the big tower at the corner of Westminster Way and West Way, which implies an entrance, but there isn’t one.

– Concern about the one community building with three uses: church, community hall and residences.

– Isn’t ‘the box’ too big for the site (referring to the size of the food store building)?

– I assume you have a food operator in place? (Answer from Mace: Yes. I was surprised, since we’d heard from a senior Vale officer that there was as yet no commitment but late stage talks ongoing.)

I spoke with Stuart Walker at the coffee break, and he asked me what I thought of the process so far. I said I was very impressed with how the panel members seemed to understand the key issues; they were very sharp. They are experienced enough to know when they are getting hype instead of facts too.

You can see the artists’ sketches on Dorics website: http://www.doricproperties.com/botley/. On the day they had a fly-through presentation I hadn’t seen before. I’d like them to put it up on their website.

I’m watching out for the report — I think it will be interesting. Doric/Mace took much of the panel’s comments on board, and I bet we will see some changes.

 

Doric File Environmental Statement for West Way Plans

On Tuesday, 3 June 2014, Doric filed their long-awaited Environmental Statement with the Vale Planning Department.

The statutory consultation runs for three weeks, or until the 24th of June. Any comments received by that date are sure to be considered. You can still comment after that date, but as time goes on and the planning officers reports get more complete, the weight of comments’ influence diminishes.

So, get them in by the 24th of June. If you can’t make that deadline, get them in as soon after the 24th as possible.

You can see the HUGE Environmental Statement (including a Non-Technical Summary) and register your Comments on the Vale website here: http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P13/V2733/FUL

The docs are in the folder called 2014-06-03 Environmental Impact Assessment.

To file your comment, click on the Orange button Comment Now.

Or, you can see a printed copy at the Botley Library or the West Way Community Concern Shop in Elms Parade.

 

Waitrose planning app recommended for approval

Matthew Parry, the Oxford City Planning Officer, has published his recommendation report. He recommends the planning committee, when it meets on 7th of May, grant permission for this development.

You can read his reasoning on the planning website, here.

He does caution everyone that it isn’t guaranteed to be a Waitrose. Still, that’s who consulted the community. Not clear to me.

Vale objects to Botley Rd Waitrose

The Vale filed its objection to the proposed Waitrose in West Oxford on Botley Road at the site where MFI used to be.

You can read it on Dropbox here: Vale Objection to Waitrose

Doric did their own objecting, and you can read it on the Oxford City planning site here: Doric Objection to Waitrose

For info, the reference number for the planning applicaiton is 14/00067/FUL. It was registered in January 2014 and is currently under consideration (consultation is closed).