Latest News - 18 February 2025
The City Council has provided a response to the Inspectors' letter dated 20 November 2024 (EXAM 22).
Text of response:
Martha Savage and Kevin Ward
The Planning Inspectorate
Subject: OLP2040 withdrawal
Your ref: PINS/G3310/429/9
Date: 17.02.25Dear Ms Savage and Mr Ward,
RE: Oxford Local Plan 2040 Post Hearings Letter
Thank you for your letter of 20.11.24. In this letter you set out that Oxford City Council had two clear choices. One of these choices was to proceed with the examination and receive a final report that would bring the hearings to a close, and which would reflect the findings of your letter dated 11.09.24 and inevitably find the plan unsound. The other choice was to withdraw the plan.
You requested to be informed of the choice made. This letter is to update the Planning Inspectorate with the decision of Oxford City Council, which was to withdraw the plan. The decision was taken at a meeting of full Council on 27th January 2025.
Please also accept this letter as formal notification that Oxford City Council no longer requires the Planning Inspectorate to provide examination services for the Oxford Local Plan 2040 pursuant to the SLA.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Williams, Planning Policy and Place Manager
Download our response to the Inspectors' letter of 20 November 2024
In accordance with regulation 22(1) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Regulation 27(a) of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, Oxford City Council hereby states that it has withdrawn its Regulation 22 submission version of the Oxford Local Plan 2040, which was approved at Council on 7th November 2023, and which was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent Examination on 28th March 2024.
The resolution to withdraw the submission version of the Oxford Local Plan 2040 was made at a Full Council meeting held on 27th January 2025. The resolution to withdraw was made under the provisions of Section 22(1) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which provides that a Local Planning Authority may withdraw a local development document at any time before it is adopted. The resolution to withdraw followed a letter from the Planning Inspectorate dated 11th September 2024, recommending withdrawal because they identified a failure of the duty to cooperate in production of the housing evidence base to support the Plan.
Any questions regarding the withdrawal of the Oxford Local Plan 2040 – Draft Submission Plan November 2023 should be directed to planningpolicy@oxford.gov.uk.
Download the Statement of Withdrawal of the Oxford Local Plan 2040
21 November 2024
The Local Plan Inspectors have provided a response to the City Council's letter dated 25 September 2024 (EXAM 21).
Download the Inspectors' response to our letter of 25 September 2024 (PDF 265kB)
The Local Plan Inspectors have written a letter to the council recommending that we withdraw the Local Plan 2040. This conclusion is explained in their letter, with the primary reason being that they consider there was a failure in the duty to cooperate. This duty requires us to engage with interested parties, including surrounding local authorities and the county council.
The Inspectors concluded that surrounding districts should have been more involved in the technical study into our housing need (the Housing and Economic Needs Assessment, or HENA).
The inspectors also said the Council has not proved exceptional circumstances to justify its HENA assessment and should instead rely on the National Planning Policy Framework’s (NPPF) ‘standard method’ for assessing housing need.
Oxford City Council continue to be committed to planning for the true housing need in Oxford, whilst delivering a more inclusive economy and protecting the environment.
We are obviously disappointed by the conclusions of the letter and the Council will now carefully consider its next steps.
- Download the Inspectors’ letter (PDF 182kB)
- Download our letter in response to the Inspectors’ letter (PDF 361kB)
See a summary of our response addressing the key points raised in the Inspectors' letter.
The draft Oxford Local Plan 2040 was submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing on 28 March 2024, which marks the beginning of a public examination process.
Initial Hearings took place between 11 and 13 June 2024 at the Rose Hill Community Centre, Carole’s Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, OX4 4HF. The hearings were live-streamed, and are available through the Council’s YouTube channel.
