Joint Local Plan 2041 Publication Stage
Overview
In January 2024, we asked for your input on our Joint Local Plan Preferred Options Consultation, covering topics such as climate change, housing, jobs, infrastructure, transport, nature recovery, and healthy places.
The feedback we received has played a crucial role in shaping the proposed Joint Local Plan for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, and we now invite you to view and comment on the publication version.
This regulation 19 publication stage of the process differs from our previous two consultations. It is a technical stage focused on ensuring that the plan meets all relevant requirements.
Click here to find out more about the relevant requirements of the Joint Local Plan
Once the councils submit the Joint Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination, the Inspectorate will be assessing the plan against the following criteria:
Legal compliance: The Joint Local Plan must follow the law and meet all the legal requirements. This includes being included in and following the Local Development Scheme, being consistent with the Statement of Community Involvement, having prepared a Sustainability Appraisal, and otherwise compliance with the requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the Town and County Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended.
Soundness: The Joint Local Plan must meet the tests of soundness described in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework, to be well through out, reasonable, and likely to work successfully. Plans are sound if they are positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.
Duty to Co-operate: The councils must engage constructively, actively, and on an ongoing basis with neighbouring authorities and certain other bodies over strategic matters during the preparation of the plan. The Inspectorate cannot recommend adoption of the plan if the councils have not complied with the duty to co-operate.
You can find out more about this publication stage in the Statement of Availability and Representations Procedure document.
The period for responding on the publication stage of the Joint Local Plan is from Tuesday 1 October until Tuesday 12 November 2024 at 11.59pm.
What happens next?
We’ll review all the comments we receive during this publication stage and summarise them in a statement. Your feedback will also be submitted to the government-appointed Planning Inspector, alongside the Joint Local Plan and supporting documents to be examined.
The Inspector will undertake an initial assessment of the plan, which will include checking all procedural requirements have been followed and organising public hearing sessions. The Inspector will determine the scope and format of these sessions, and will invite participants to respond to key matters, issues and questions.
Ultimately, the Inspector will produce a report that determines whether the plan should be adopted or if changes called ‘main modifications’ are needed to make the plan sound. If so, there will be a final opportunity for representations through a public consultation on the main modifications.
Personal details
Your name, contact details and comments will be shared with the Secretary of State, a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the examination, and a Programme Officer. A Programme Officer acts as an independent point of contact between the councils, Inspector and respondents. The Programme Officer and/or the councils may contact you with relevant updates on the plan, or to invite you to discuss your comments at a public examination.
To find out how your personal data is used for the Joint Local Plan Publication Stage and for information on how the councils hold, use and store your personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy on our websites: South Oxfordshire webpage or Vale of White Horse webpage.
Joint Local Plan 2041 Publication Stage
Areas
- All Areas
Audiences
- General Public
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