PARISH PLAN PROGRESS REPORTS

The parish of Sandford on Thames currently enjoys a rural setting within the Oxford Green Belt, thus any major housing development in the village is currently quite restricted under the current regulations.
However, any new housing development in the village will be greatly influenced by two different, but linked, consultations currently being undertaken on (amongst many other things) house building. Firstly by the County Council who have almost completed their structure plan review, and secondly by the new South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA), who have just commenced their consultations.

The Parish Council are currently waiting the final outcome of the last stage of the proposed County Structure Plan, which initially included a major development on green belt land within our parish of Sandford. At the following consultation stage, this last minute inclusion to the last of the county structure plans, was removed after overwhelming opposition to the proposals.
In the subsequent 'Examination In Public' the appeal against the removal of the green belt development, was found to be unfounded and it was recommended that this development should not be included.
In the final stage of the Structure Plan, the County Executive Committee have agreed to accept the EIP recommendations (May 2005), and removed references to new housing development the Green Belt. This last review is currently open for comments, before the final plan is officially adopted near the end of 2005. The outcome will thus set the expected level of housing development in the County for the next 10 years.
Further info on the structure plan review can be found on the County Council web site, however further developments are taking over...

The new SEERA organisation is due to take the old County structure planning, and replace it with their new 'regional' development plans, covering the whole of the south east. Currently their is some debate on the exact level of housing needed, but it seems that SEERA will want to build more housing than is currently in the new County Structure Plan. This will probably renew pressure on the green belt, and as SEERA work to very different criteria, in the long run the outcome is very uncertain.
Consultations on the first draft of their plan is now complete (April 2005), and the results will be considered by the committee in June 2005. The final of the South East Plan is due to be submitted to Government in Spring 2006.

However small scale development of existing building land in the village is still possible, and any new planning applications will continue to be examined by the Parish Council. Recommendations will be made accordingly, within the limited influence that the Parish Council has.

Currently a local needs survey within the South Oxfordshire Distinct is conducted independently by the Oxfordshire Rural Distinct Council (ORCC). The Appraisal Group have spoken to the 'Rural Housing' section of the ORCC, and they are willing to consult with the Parish Council and explain the various types of housing needs and schemes for affordable housing available.

Currently the Parish Council feel the outcome of the County Structure Plan, and its possible impact on the village needs to be made clear, before undertaking such a survey.

The current situation with the housing situation will continue to be monitored along with the possibility of a shop, as agreed above.
See also the report on a village shop.

Other Progress Reports