The Head of Planning and Regulatory Services has submitted a report which seeks approval of the Annual Monitoring Report for publication.

Officer Recommendations: That the City Executive Board resolves to:

1.     Approve the Annual Monitoring Report 2014/15 for publication.

2.     Authorise the Head of Planning and Regulatory Services to make any necessary additional minor corrections not materially affecting the document prior to publication.

The Head of Planning and Regulatory Services submitted a report which sought approval of the Annual Monitoring Report for publication.

The Board Member for Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services presented the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 2014-15 which reported on the effectiveness of planning policies contained within Oxford’s Local Development Plan against a range of performance indicators. He explained whilst it was disappointing that only 17 affordable dwellings were completed in the 2014/15 monitoring year it was in part due to the phasing of the completion of residential developments. The situation would improve in future years as existing developments were completed.

In response to a suggestion from Cllr Fooks the Board agreed to arrange a meeting for members and officers to discuss further matters relating to Indicator 22: Students and Purpose Built Student Accommodation. The Board noted that this indicator only applied to the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes and agreed that consideration should be given to expanding the remit to include other educational institutions and student accommodation built and managed by third parties.  

The Board agreed that there was a wider safeguarding consideration about the accommodation arrangements for students at other educational institutions, such as language schools, in the city.  They felt that this was something that might possibly be addressed through the planning function.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.     Approve the Annual Monitoring Report 2014/15 for publication.

2.     Authorise the Head of Planning and Regulatory Services to make any necessary additional minor corrections not materially affecting the document prior to publication.

Contact Officer: Rebekah Knight Tel 01865 252612, rknight@oxford.gov.uk

The Board Member for Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services presented the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 2014-15 (previously circulated, now appended) which reported on the effectiveness of planning policies contained within Oxford’s Local Development Plan against a range of performance indicators.

The Scrutiny Committee discussion focused on concerns about the red status of Indicator 13: Affordable Housing Completions (Gross) and Tenure.  The Board Member explained whilst it was disappointing that only 17 affordable dwellings were completed in the 2014/15 monitoring year it was in part due to the phasing of the completion of residential developments. The situation would improve in future years as existing developments were completed. He advised the Committee that the 2015/16 report would include 107 (gross) affordable dwellings being provided through the City Council’s own building programme.

The Committee also raised a number of comments relating to Indicator 22: Students and Purpose Built Student Accommodation and Indicator 23: Location of New Student Accommodation.  The Board Member gave an assurance that the Council remained committed to working with the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes to minimise the number of students living in private rented accommodation in the city.

In view of the large number of “green” status indicators in the report the Committee questioned whether there would be merit in reviewing the choice of measures.  The Board Member agreed that this was something that should be kept under review.

The Spatial & Economic Development Manager gave the following responses to questions from the Committee:

·         It was not possible to facilitate housing development by a “swap” of a suitable but protected employment site with another unprotected site

·         Although there had been a relatively high turnover of staff within the planning department there remained a dedicated core of professional officers committed to meeting the needs of customers and communities in the city

The Scrutiny Committee RESOLVED that the following recommendation be put to the City Executive Board:

That the City Executive Board states whether it agrees or disagrees with the following recommendations:

1.    That the Council includes the following two new indicators when considering the effectiveness of planning policies contained within the Oxford Local Development Plan

a.    Number of units of affordable housing to rent built on Council owned land

b.    The amount of land freed up for affordable housing development through change of use