Oxford Local Plan 2040 Examination

Latest News

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.

EXAM.006 – Inspectors’ Action Point Requests from Initial Hearings

The Inspectors will now consider the way forward for the Examination and are due to write to the City Council to outline their views following the General Election.

The Inspectors

Planning Inspectors Kevin Ward BA(Hons) MRTPI and Martha Savage BSc(Hons) MCD MRTPI have been appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted Oxford Local Plan 2040.

The Inspectors' task will be to consider the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted Plan, based on the National Planning Policy Framework December 2021 (published in 2021) (under transitional arrangements in the National Planning Policy Framework 2023) and associated regulations. Guidance Notes have been prepared by the Inspector to help people understand the process.

Procedural Guidance for Local Plans has also been produced by the Planning Inspectorate, together with a short guide aimed at those participating in a local plan examination for the first time.

Programme Officer

Ian Kemp has been appointed as Programme Officer for the Local Plan Examination. He is an Independent Officer working on behalf of the Inspector to organise and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the Examination process. His role is to act as the point contact for any person who has an interest in the Examination and as a liaison between the Inspector, Local Planning Authorities and Representors. Any matters that anyone wishes to raise with the Inspector should be submitted to him in the first instance via the contact details below.

Address: PO Box 241, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 1DW
Email: ian@localplanservices.co.uk
Telephone: 07723009166

Examination Timeline and Key Dates

18 June 2024 - EXAM 6: Initial Hearings Action Point List published.
13 June 2024 - EXAM 3 Suite of Documents and EXAM 4 document published, Initial Hearings closed.
11 June 2024 - Initial Hearings Commence.
10 June 2024 - Examination Document 1 and 2 published.
4 June 2024 - Agendas for Initial Hearings published.
3 June 2024 - Written Statements for Initial Hearings published.
28 May 2024 - Updated Programme for Initial Hearings published
24 May 2024 - Written Statement Deadline for Initial Matters.
17 May 2024 - Requests to participate in Initial Hearings to be submitted to Programme Officer.
13 May 2024 - CSD.009: Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications in the Examination Library has been updated to correct typographical errors in respect to Policy SPE1.
29 April 2024 - Guidance Notes, Hearing Programme and Matters, Issues and Questions published
8 April 2024 - Planning Inspectors Kevin Ward BA(Hons) MRTPI and Martha Savage BSc(Hons) MCD MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent examination of the Local Plan
28 March 2024 - Oxford Local Plan 2040 submitted for Examination

Examination Library

Alongside the Submission Draft of the Local Plan other documents have been submitted that make up the evidence base and supporting documentation for the Plan. Visit our Oxford Local Plan 2040 Examination Library for details.