Work is now well underway on the document that will allocate housing supply for the Vale of White Horse for the next 15 years. The district council has employed extra staff to work on the Local Plan, which will be drawn up over the next 12 months, after which it will be submitted to the Secretary of State. The plan will help the Vale urgently address the district’s shortfall in housing which has led to concerns from residents about vulnerability to speculative planning applications. To address these concerns, the Vale has issued a mission statement to reassure residents that the district council will do everything in its power to ensure that all housing being brought forward is appropriate and sensitive to local communities and their needs. The Vale is planning two large, district-wide consultations over the course of the next year to ensure that the thoughts of all local communities are at the heart of developing the plan. The council has committed to communicate openly and regularly with everybody in the district to keep residents informed with the progress of the plan. An email community has been set up called The Vale Community which the district council will use to send regular updates to all those signed up. In the updates, the council plans to include messages from leading councillors and officers, first looks at press releases, priority invitations to exhibitions and Q&A sessions and the direct mailing of committee agendas and minutes. They also hope to invite local steering groups and community representatives to write updates on how they’re working with the district council on local housing allocation issues. Cllr Matthew Barber, leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We are meeting the Vale’s housing supply questions head on. We’re drawing up a Local Plan that will bring forward the housing the Vale needs, while protecting what makes our district so special. We all love living here and we are determined to retain the character and desirability for generations to come.” To sign up to The Vale Community and receive regular email updates on the Local Plan, simply send an email containing the word ‘subscribe’ to localplan@whitehorsedc.gov.uk