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.

Vale’s policy for lettings in West Way

16 July 2014 at the full council meeting:

Question from Councillor Debby Hallett to Councillor Elaine Ware, Cabinet member for economy, leisure and property:

What is the current policy for deciding about letting emty units in West Way Centre?

Cllr Ware’s answer was verbal, so I scribbled some notes. (I expect her answer will be in the council’s minutes when they are published.)

The Vale owns West Way and makes the letting decisions. Out of courtesy, Doric are consulted. Doric’s concern is that letting agreements not go beyond Dec 2015, which would interfere with their development plans. Doric sometimes make a financial contribution to help offset the lower-than-market rents in any deals that are affected by the short term of the ageement.

Then I asked as a supplementaty (no advance notice is given to anyone of the nature of a supplementary question):

What role do Doric Properties play in the day-to-day running of West Way?

Answer: essentially, none. The Vale own and manage the property.

Subsequently I reported to the CEO David Buckle that there have been some mis-communications to current tenants about Doric’s role in every day decisions. For example, the agent told busness owners that Doric held approval authority over the West Way Festival and other potential events. Mr Buckle says Doric don’t have that role. The Vale own West Way. I asked that the agents be updated with correct information.