Oxford Local Plan 2040

The most significant change in the Local Plan 2040 is the focus on reducing carbon emissions and promoting nature recovery.  

The Zero Carbon Oxford Roadmap has found that around 60% of Oxford’s total carbon emissions come from buildings – and residential buildings makes up 25% of total emissions. Oxford has a goal to become a net-zero carbon city by 2040, and decarbonising buildings is key to this. 

The existing Local Plan 2036 requires: 

• new residential developments to go 40% further than Government targets now, rising to 50% after 2026, and zero carbon from 2030
• overall, a 5% net gain in biodiversity, including requiring 10% of residential sites of 1.5 hectares or more to become new public open space 
• car-free developments where they are within a controlled parking zone, near regular bus routes and close to local shops 

The new Local Plan 2040 aims to take this further by: 

• bringing forward the requirement for all new homes and businesses in Oxford to be zero carbon to the adoption of the Local Plan 2040 - likely in 2025 
• requiring no fossil fuels to be directly used in the operation of new housing or commercial developments (e.g., no gas for heating or cooking) 
• increasing the biodiversity net gain of housing and business developments from 5% to 10% 
• requiring all major developments to plant more trees, hedges and other greenery to meet new minimum standards 

Any offsetting of carbon emissions to become net zero will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, and then only through local offsetting schemes in Oxford or Oxfordshire.