Written by As you may already know, WODC is preparing a new Local Plan which will help to shape the future of West Oxfordshire to 2041. Having an up-to-date plan in place is vital because it provides a vision and framework to guide decisions on how, where and when development can come forward and how communities and the built and natural environment can be protected and enhanced for current and future generations.
To help with this process, WODC is currently seeking the views of residents, communities and other stakeholders in three areas through a consultation “Your Place, Your Plan – Ideas and Objectives†which is open until 25 October and the feedback received will be used to inform a series of preferred policy approaches which will be the subject of further consultation later in 2023.
We strongly recommend you to take part in this consultation and have your say. See “Have Your Say†below to find out how to get involved.
Charlbury Town Council is engaging with the Local Plan consultation.
As part of the consultation, WODC is working with town and parish councils including Charlbury Town Council to reflect the aspirations and priorities of local communities. As your elected representatives we will be fully engaged in this process and we would like to hear from you about your priorities for Charlbury in the context of this WODC consultation. As you know, Charlbury already has a Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in June 2021 following extensive involvement and consultation with the community. This Neighbourhood Plan will provide a firm basis for us in our representations to WODC but circumstances and priorities do move on over time and we would welcome your thoughts.
Future Pattern of Development in West Oxfordshire
We are particularly keen to hear your views on the future pattern of development in West Oxfordshire, which is one of the areas covered by this consultation. WODC has set out 8 possible scenarios and wants to know which one(s) you favour and why. The choice of scenario from this list will inevitably have a significant impact on Charlbury and on our own priorities so the town council is also keen to hear your views so please let us know what you think.
As background, the current local plan follows Scenario 1 (Hierarchical) and that approach therefore informed our Neighbourhood Plan. This approach has positive advantages for Charlbury which, under this scenario, is designated as a Rural Service Centre serving surrounding villages and hamlets. This helps us to argue for support and protection for our town centre, community facilities and public transport links as well as a focus on smaller affordable housing for key workers. This is important to keep our community vibrant and active. Tell us what you think!
Have Your Say!
To find out more about the WODC consultation and to have your say, go to the WODC website ( https://westoxon.gov.uk/ ) and click on “Have your say on the future of our Districtâ€. There you can download a copy of the consultation document and also sign up to submit your own comments.
The town council would also like to hear from you, particularly on the future pattern of development and it would be helpful if you could send your comments to us by Thursday 5th October to enable us to reflect your views in scheduled workshop discussions with WODC. To send details to the town council, please email Lisa Wilkinson, the town clerk at clerk@charlbury-tc.gov.uk .
We look forward to hearing from you.
