The Vale is making the final preparations to submit its Local Plan to the planning inspector. Residents have a final chance to make comments on the draft plan - the comments will be considered by the planning inspector at the examination. The Local Plan is a document that sets out where new houses and employment sites across the Vale will be, and what infrastructure the Vale will need to support it. The Vale has already been through a series of consultations to gather view on its proposals. People who responded included residents, community groups and a wide range of national organisations, and their comments have had helped update and improve the plan throughout the process. Changes to the plan include:
- decreasing the size of the proposed housing site at Milton Heights by 1,000 homes because of traffic concerns;
- a site in south Shrivenham being removed, with part of its allocation being added to the site north of the village, partly based on the preferences of local residents;
- a reduction of the size of a site at east Harwell following comments from Natural England and the AONB Board; and
- sites removed from the Green Belt at Cumnor, Wootton and North Radley.
The number one concern from residents has been investment in infrastructure to support the new housing that will be provided over the course of the Local Plan. In response the Vale is introducing an additional source of funding for infrastructure called the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This is essentially a tax that developers have to pay on new developments. 15 per cent of the levy goes to parish councils, 25 per cent if they have a neighbourhood plan in place, with the remainder going to the district council. The Vale has a list of infrastructure projects it intends to fund in whole or in part from CIL. Money raised from CIL across a number of developments can be pooled together to raise funds for these and other infrastructure projects that can benefit the whole district. The Vale is asking people what they think about the charges they’re proposing to make. To make sure the new developments in the district are well-designed, well laid out and respectful of their surroundings, the council has also completely overhauled its Design Guide, which is a document used by developers to make sure they design homes and communities in line with the needs of the local area. The council’s planning officers also use the document when deciding if a planning application is acceptable. The district council is also asking people to have a look at the draft Design Guide and provide their thoughts before the council finalises it and then starts using it early next year. How to take part in the consulation... Residents are encouraged to respond to the consultation using the online form set out on the Vale's website www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/lpp1. You can however respond by email or in writing to planning.policy@whitehorsedc.gov.uk or to Planning Policy, Vale of White Horse District, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8ED. For more information and to find out how to respond, residents can go to the council’s website at www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/localplanconsultations. Responses must be received by 4.30pm on 19th December. During the consultation there will be four public meetings which members of the public are invited to attend: Abingdon Guildhall (The Abbey Hall) | Wednesday 19 November | 6-8pm Wantage The Beacon (The Ridgeway room) | Friday 21 November | 6-8pm De Vere, Milton Hill House | Thursday 27 November | 6-8pm Faringdon – Corn Exchange | Tuesday 2 December | 6-8pm Cllr Matthew Barber, Leader of the Vale said: “Thanks to everybody’s comments over the past couple of years, we have put together a robust plan that we’re confident will get the planning inspector’s green light. This is a crucial step on the road to getting ourselves back in control of planning in the Vale. Whilst finalising the Local Plan, we have also been working hard to make sure all new developments in the district are well supported by infrastructure, and the introduction of our Community Infrastructure Levy will help us do that. The overhaul of our Design Guide will make sure that all new developments will be well-designed and respect the character of our district.”