Consultations
National
See National News section as well, for items which may be news as well as consultations
DCLG Neighbourhood planning regulations
Neighbourhood planning is central to the Government's Localism agenda and forms a significant part of the Localism Act. The consultation sets out how the Government proposes to take up the regulation making powers in the Act for neighbourhood planning and the Community Right to Build.
The consultation closed on 5th January 2012 and it is rumoured that a final draft will be issued by the end of March 2012.
click here for consultation document
Defra: Consultation on the registration of new town or village greens
The consultation is seeking views on proposals to reform the system for registering new town or village greens under Section 15 of the Commons Act 2006.
Around 185 applications were made in 2009 to register new greens. The volume of applications to register new greens, the character of application sites, the controversy which such applications often attract, the cost of the determination process on the parties affected, and the impact of a successful registration on the landowner, are all giving rise to increasing concern. In this context, and the Government’s commitment, announced in the Natural Environment White Paper, to introduce a Local Green Spaces designation through the planning system, the consultation presents the Government’s case to reform the registration system so as to achieve an improved regulatory balance between protecting high quality green space valued by local communities and enabling the right development to occur in the right place at the right time. It also seeks to reduce the burden on local authorities which are responsible for implementing it, and on landowners who are affected by applications. There is no intention to review sites already registered.
The key proposals are:
- An applicant would be charged a fee set by each registration authority
- The proposal would take decisions on the future of site into the planning system. It would prevent registration which was subject to a planning application or was designated for development or was a green space in a neighbourhood plan
- Registration authorities could reject applications at an early stage if there was insufficient evidence
- Landowners would be given the opportunity to make a statutory declaration to "negate any evidence of use of a claimed green during the period while the declaration remained ineffect. "
- A character test would be used to judge whether a piece of land could be registered.
The consultation closed on 17th October, the Defra web site has more details
Regional & Local
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England: Consultation on Electoral Arrangements for Oxfordshire
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has published its final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council currently has 74 councillors elected from 58 county divisions. Based on the evidence and submissions made to it the Commission has proposed a reduction to 63 councillors in its final report.
New divisions are scheduled to come into effect at the 2013 local elections. Further information on electoral reviews is available on the LGBCE website at www.lgbce.org.uk .
Minerals and Waste Development Framework for Oxfordshire
A new Minerals and Waste Development Framework for Oxfordshire is being prepared that will eventually replace the Minerals and Waste Local Plan. The County Council has prepared some draft minerals spatial strategy options for where mineral working could take place over the next 15 years. Taking into account the feedback from workshops, from the Sustainability Appraisal and from other stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, OCC will refine and modify these options, which will be the subject of further, public consultation in the summer. Further details here.
Cherwell District Council’s Consultation Portal can be accessed here.
Details of South Oxfordshire District Council's current consultations can be found here.
West Oxfordshire Planning Policy Consultations
West Oxfordshire District Council's latest Local Development Framework Newsletter
Local Government in Oxfordshire: Consultation Tracker
Consultation tracker is a database of all County and District consultations. Using the consultation tracker you can:
- find out when the consultations are taking place
- find out who to contact to have your say
- view the archive of consultations and research reports.
The consultation database is updated regularly on the County Website (www.oxfordshire.gov.uk). If you cannot find your consultation please contact consultationsfeedback@oxfordshire.gov.uk.