Growth Board members and officers may verbally update the Board on progress on matters previously before the Board for consideration, listed in the work plan, or relevant to the Board’s future decisions.

This is for the sharing of information and no decisions will be taken.

Councillor Price noted the need for a formal relationship between the Growth Board and Swindon to discuss the impacts of new housing, industry and infrastructure in the south west of the county and the proposals for an Oxford-Cambridge link. Proposals for this would be brought back to a future meeting.

Report to follow/ Officers will provide a verbal update.

The Board discussed the recent announcement of a consultation on the calculation of Objectively Assessed Need (OAN) and the implications for housing numbers. They commented on the OAN not taking appropriate account of economic growth and affordable housing; the implications for councils depending on their Local Plan timetable; possible fall-back positions in the absence of a Local Plan or a plan which was not in compliance with the required housing figures; and the necessity of a considered response to the consultation and its outcome.

The Board noted that reports on the implications of the consultation and the OAN figures would be brought to the next meeting of the Board for endorsement before submission to government a future meeting.