The Executive Director (Development) has submitted a report to seek approval for the Oxford Local Plan 2040 Housing Numbers Consultation Document (Regulation 18 part 2) for consultation.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.     Approve theOxford Local Plan 2040 Housing Numbers Consultation Document (Regulation 18 part 2)for public consultation;

2.     Approve the associated update to the Oxford Local Development Scheme 2023-28; and

3.     Delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Memberfor Planning and Housing Delivery, to make any necessary editorial corrections to the documents and the supporting evidence base prior to going out to consultation.

The Executive Director (Development) had submitted a report to seek approval for the Oxford Local Plan 2040 Housing Need Consultation Document (Regulation 18 Part 2) for consultation.

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery reported that the Housing Needs consultation was a critical piece of the Local Plan evidence base.  The Housing and Economic Needs Assessment had been commissioned jointly with Cherwell District Council following the cessation of the Oxfordshire 2050 Plan workstream.  It considered four scenarios for assessing housing need across the whole of Oxfordshire: the Standard Method, Census-adjusted Standard Method, Economic Development Led, and Cambridge Econometrics Baseline Trend.  In consultation with Cherwell District Council it was proposed to use the Cambridge Econometrics Baseline Trend to assess housing need.  Once the housing need figure for Oxfordshire had been established, a method to divide this amongst the districts would be needed, and the proposed method was to apportion the need based on the forecast distribution of jobs across Oxfordshire in 2040 (the end of the proposed local plan period).  This formed the basis on which the consultation would be undertaken.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.     Approve theOxford Local Plan 2040 Housing Numbers Consultation Document (Regulation 18 part 2)for public consultation;

2.     Approve the associated update to the Oxford Local Development Scheme 2023-28; and

3.      Delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Memberfor Planning and Housing Delivery, to make any necessary editorial corrections to the documents and the supporting evidence base prior to going out to consultation.