Local Plan 2031

The Vale of White Horse District’s Local Plan is divided into two parts: Local Plan 2031 Part 1 was adopted at Full Council in December 2016; and Local Plan 2031 Part 2 was adopted by Full Council on Wednesday 9 October 2019.

The Plan is supported by the Adopted Policies Map

Local Plan 2031 Part 1 sets out the spatial strategy and strategic policies for the district to deliver sustainable development. It identifies the number of new homes and jobs to be provided in the area for the plan period up to 2031. It makes provision for retail, leisure and commercial development and for the infrastructure needed to support them.

Local Plan 2031 Part 2 complements the Part 1 plan and sets out policies and locations for housing for the Vale’s proportion of Oxford’s housing need up to 2031, which cannot be met within the City boundaries. It contains policies for the part of Didcot Garden Town that lies within the Vale of White Horse District, and detailed development management policies to complement the Part 1 plan. It also allocates additional development sites for housing.

Local Plan Part 1 Review

A Regulation 10A review (five-year review) for Local Plan Part 1 (LPP1) has been completed, evaluating LPP1’s policies for their consistency with national policy, considering current evidence and any relevant changes in local circumstances.

The review shows that five years on, LPP1 (together with LPP2) continues to provide a suitable framework for development in the Vale of White Horse that is in overall conformity with government policy. Until a new housing requirement is adopted in a new local plan the council will use its local housing need figure for calculating its housing land supply.

Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet approved the Local Plan Part 1 Review on 3 December 2021 and the review can be found below:

Local Plan Part 1 Review (PDF)

Adoption Statements and Evidence Base

The adoption statements for the Part 1 and Part 2 plan can be found below:

In preparing the Local Plan, the District Council were informed by numerous documents and pieces of evidence that together form the ‘Evidence Base’ for the examination. There documents can be accessed through the link below: