The Head of Planning and Regulatory Services has submitted a report to seek approval of the Authority Monitoring Report and Infrastructure Funding Statement for publication.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.      Approve the Authority Monitoring Report and Infrastructure Funding Statement 2022/23 for publication; and

2.      Authorise the Planning Policy and Place Manager to make any necessary minor corrections not materially affecting the document prior to publication.

The Head of Planning and Regulatory Services had submitted a report to seek approval of the Authority Monitoring Report and Infrastructure Funding Statement for publication.

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities clarified that production of the report was a statutory requirement and that the report (i) assessed the effectiveness of the planning policies contained within the Oxford Local Plan 2036; (ii) monitored the implementation of key statutory planning documents; and (iii) provided transparency on how developer contributions were spent on infrastructure.  The Authority Monitoring Report for 2022/23 had showed that the Local Plan policies were performing well.  Affordable housing (social rent or shared ownership) had made up almost half of the housing built in Oxford over the year, which reflected the Council’s commitment to create a thriving city.  The Council remained on track to meet the target of providing 10,884 dwellings in the city by 2036, and also had a housing land supply of almost five and a half years.  Progress had also been made in increasing the amount of student housing provided which had the effect of protecting existing housing for non-student residents of the city.

Councillor Upton drew attention to a number of key points in the report, including the CIL developer contributions and S106 planning obligations received which had been spent during the year, the majority of which had been spent on community facilities, active travel, affordable housing, and green infrastructure.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.      Approve the Authority Monitoring Report and Infrastructure Funding Statement 2022/23 for publication; and

2.      Authorise the Planning Policy and Place Manager to make any necessary minor corrections not materially affecting the document prior to publication.