Bloxham: how a neighbourhood plan changed a committee decision
In July, Cherwell District Council's Planning Committee refused outline permission for up to 95 homes next to Bloxham. Officers had recommended approval, largely because of the council's housing land supply shortfall, but the committee chose to refuse the application.
How did the neighbourhood plan make a difference?
Bloxham Parish Council had already done the hard work. It had been working on a Modified Neighbourhood Plan which allocates land at Painters Farm for 125 homes, well above the Local Plan's indicative figure of 75. The allocation was chosen to secure school expansion land, a burial ground and a community barn. At the time of the committee meeting, the plan was weeks from referendum.
We helped the Parish Council turn that position into a planning argument. Its written objection set out the conflict with the made plan. It also argued that approving a scheme of this scale would predetermine decisions central to the emerging plan.
At committee, our Managing Director Neil Homer spoke for the Parish Council. He drew on two previous appeals where we represented parish councils, at Thorpe and Burghclere, which were both dismissed on prematurity grounds due to allocations in emerging neighbourhood plans. His central point was that undermining a plan includes threatening its referendum.
Councillors agreed. The decision notice finds that the site is not allocated in the emerging Neighbourhood Plan and that the scheme's scale runs contrary to the plan's housing strategy, which had reached an advanced stage. That conflict sits alongside harm to the village's landscape setting in the first reason for refusal.
Since that meeting the Bloxham Neighbourhood Plan has also successfully passed referendum.
Lessons for your council
Don't assume planning authority officers will always make the case for your plan. It often falls to the parish council to do so.
Put your plan front and centre. Cite specific policies, the plan's stage and the evidence behind your site choices, as well as any relevant policies.
Ask for the application to go to committee* and to be speak at that committee. A clear, confident argument in the room can highlight relevant planning factors which may have been overlooked in the officers report. *keep an eye out for a new blog and training on changes to this.
If your local or neighbourhood plan is emerging keep track of the key project dates. The weight an emerging plan carries grows as it progresses.
Get expert support. Professional planners can support you to write representations which include key material planning matters or case law history that you might not know about.
If they applicant chooses to appeal, the Parish Council's written evidence from the application, and the minutes from the meeting will all be part of the evidence base for the appeal decision. With most appeals now decided on paper, getting your representation right first time is essential.
If you would like support with a particular planning application from ONH, please contact us as early as possible to ask about our availability.
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