The decision will achieve the partial surrender of a farm tenancy that will return control of land back to Oxford City Council. This will in turn, subject to planning consent being obtained, allow a burial meadow to be developed on the land owned by Oxford City Council.

A licence is also to be completed with the tenant farmer to enable him to maintain those parts of the land not required for the surveys that are to be completed in advance of the planning application being determined.

The decision reached in this instance is exempt from circulation to the public.

Accepting partial surrender of the tenancy gives Oxford City Council vacant possession of land that will help enable the Oxford Burial Meadow project to proceed once planning consent has been obtained.

Oxford City Council need to obtain vacant possession of the land in advance of planning consent being granted as further intrusive surveys are required to be completed as part of the planning process.

Not taking a surrender of the tenants farmers interest in the land would result in the Council not being able to proceed with the proposed use of the land as a burial meadow.