The leader of Oxford City Council has said she is ‘alarmed and extremely disappointed’ after planning inspectors recommended the council withdraw its draft Local Plan.
The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) previously agreed more homes needed to be built within the city’s boundaries but also outside of them due to the area’s economic growth.
Oxford’s existing Local Plan 2036 and those of its neighbouring districts are based on this agreement and the districts have already agreed to build 14,300 homes to meet Oxford’s needs.
Inspectors have now ‘U-turned’ and said there are no exceptional circumstances justifying the need for more homes, according to the city council.
This means the council would need to use the standard method calculation of 762 homes a year despite its assessment that 1,322 homes a year are needed in total.
The inspectorate also concluded the council failed to meet its ‘duty to cooperate’ in preparing the Local Plan 2040.
The city council says this is because during a five-month period in 2022 only Cherwell District Council agreed to work with it.
Cllr Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: ‘We are alarmed and extremely disappointed by the recommendation to withdraw our Local Plan 2040 from public examination.
‘The planning inspectors have failed to grasp the seriousness of Oxford’s housing crisis and the number of new homes we need to tackle this crisis – and don’t appear to have heeded the clear message from government which requires all councils to up their housing delivery ambitions.’
