Agenda item

To receive correspondence from West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) with notification of their special options consultation.

Further details and submission can be made at: www.westoxon.gov.uk/localplan2043  

The Committee received correspondence from West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) notifying of their Spatial Options consultation for the Local Plan 2043.

Members agreed it was important for the Council to respond consistently in what it had already been asking of WODC.

Extending the Planning Period

Witney Town Council has no specific comments regarding the proposed extension of the Local Plan period.

Revised Settlement Hierarchy

Witney Town Council recognises the observations made about the character of settlements across the district and the ongoing concerns regarding the potential coalescence of towns and villages. As a Tier 1 settlement, Witney is acknowledged as a main and key service centre for West Oxfordshire. However, despite this designation, no development sites are identified within Witney’s existing parish boundaries.

It would be both logical and appropriate for strategic allocations adjacent to Tier 1 settlements, such as land immediately adjoining Witney, to be formally recognised as Tier 1 development sites in the Plan. Without such recognition, development that directly impacts Witney’s infrastructure, services, and residents may proceed without delivering any infrastructure funding to Witney due to current parish boundary arrangements.

To address this imbalance, Witney Town Council requests that West Oxfordshire District Council consider the following as part of the Local Plan process:

• A Community Governance Review, to explore boundary adjustments that reflect the functional relationship between new development and the town that will serve it.
• The creation of a Witney Neighbourhood Committee, or similar mechanism, through which infrastructure funds could be directed to projects benefitting Witney as the district’s primary service centre.
  These options would help ensure that the town is not placed under further pressure without receiving an appropriate share of mitigation funding.

Previously Allocated Sites

Witney Town Council urges West Oxfordshire District Council to revisit the status of the ‘North Witney’ allocation. Although it bears the town’s name, the site lies outside the Witney parish boundary. This development will have a substantial and unavoidable impact on Witney residents, road networks, and key services. As such, its delivery must be inseparable from the completion of essential infrastructure, including:

• Flood mitigation schemes to protect the town and surrounding areas
• The West End Link Road
• The Northern Distributor Road

Witney Town Council stresses that development in this location should not proceed unless these critical infrastructure elements are guaranteed and delivered.

New Potential Development Areas

Regarding the proposed employment land at the Peashell Farm site south of Witney, Witney Town Council notes the importance of considering whether this location effectively supports employment growth that aligns with the district’s future needs. To inform this assessment, the town council requests that West Oxfordshire District Council undertakes further work on:

• Local and district-wide demographics, including labour market characteristics
• The suitability of the site for emerging sectors, particularly science, technology, and innovation
• How this employment land could best contribute to sustainable economic development over the plan period

A detailed evidence-based report in these areas would help ensure that any employment allocation at Peashell Farm genuinely meets future demand and contributes positively to West Oxfordshire’s economic strategy.

Resolved:

That, the above submission be made to West Oxfordshire District Council.