Without prejudice to the emerging development strategy, O&H have concerns that the Introductory section (summarised in paragraph 1.34) is over reliant on external influences which, at present, are uncertain.

It is understood that the requirement for the early review is to reflect emerging national policies for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. However, progress on the Spatial Framework has not kept to the published timetable and the suggestion now is that growth targets and the vision should be locally led. At the time to writing, it is not known what shape this will take. This does not alter the fact that growth in the Arc is supported by Government and it is a sustainable and sensible location for growth, as portrayed in the Economic Prospectus. Further, this area is under significant housing pressure and the review of the Local Plan is necessary even in the absence of top-down housing figures from Government.

The concern is that underpinning the Local Plan on the Ox-Cam Spatial Framework potentially undermines what is an otherwise sustainable growth strategy in an area of housing pressure.

A similar point could be made about the shape of the town and country planning system. At the time of writing, it is not known how the system might change in the future and this is particularly difficult to predict given current Government priorities.

O&H believe that the locally derived evidence underpinning the emerging Local Plan is robust and that the Introduction should explain that this forms the justification for the development strategy.