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Approved Council Motions 2025/26

Council meeting: Wednesday 16 July 2025

Proposer: Councillor James Seconder: Councillor Foxhall

Lead officer: Head of Policy and Programmes, Head of Planning

Council notes that:

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently passing through Parliament. Despite pleas from across the environmental sector and cross-party support for amendments, the Bill continues to include damaging changes to planning rules such that the environmental movement has now come together to call on ministers to ‘scrap part 3’.

For example, our local wildlife trust BBOWT says “In its current form the legislation will not guarantee adequate environmental recovery, and in fact it risks undermining much of the hard-won progress for environmental protection that has been gained over the last 70 years. It could represent the biggest attack on our environmental protections for a generation.” 

(https://www.bbowt.org.uk/campaign-for-wildlife/planning-and-infrastructure-bill)

Proposed changes to planning decision making which will reduce the power of councils and councillors to act on behalf of their communities – this even though more than one million homes have been granted planning permission since 2015 but not been built. (https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news/planning-news-29-may-2025)

Council believes:

The combined effect of changes introduced by the government since last July, even when taking in to account the welcome additional funding for the Affordable Homes Programme, will in all likelihood fail to deliver the affordable homes that people need in the Vale of White Horse, damage efforts to recover our natural environment and further erode community trust in decision making.

This Council resolves to:

Request that the Leader of the Council:

1.    Writes to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as all MPs representing parts of the Vale of White Horse, expressing these concerns, and calling for the withdrawal of part 3 of the Planning and infrastructure Bill.

2.    When writing to our MPs, asks them to oppose measures in part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and, should these remain in the Bill, to vote against at final reading.

3.    Shares this resolution with neighbouring councils, local civic groups, nature organisations and the local press, to encourage wider opposition and coordinated advocacy.

Council meeting: Wednesday 16 July 2025

Proposer: Councillor Thompson Seconder: Councillor Hannaby

Lead officer: Head of Policy and Programmes, Head of Planning

Council notes:

Planning committees serve a vital role in local government ensuring that developments and applications throughout the Vale of White Horse are effectively and transparently scrutinized.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill seeks to ensure consistency across the country in terms of what sort of training is provided to councillors, size of committees, and what type of applications can be heard in public by planning committees. Some of these changes are welcome and there will be variation between councillors and officers as to the ideal size of committees and the training needed.

A proper scheme of delegation is vital for ensuing Vale can deliver housing our residents need, and it is right that the vast majority of applications are delegated and determined by officers without coming to planning committee. However, it is a vital principle of democracy and transparency that applications can be called in by ward members in consultation with local stakeholders and with the agreement of elected members, the Chair/Vice-Chair of planning.

The proposed two-tier structure in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would not allow for certain applications (those in Tier A) to come before committee under any circumstances. This undermines faith in the planning process, democratic accountability, and local governance. Those applications in Tier A include, inter alia, all householder developers and minor residential developments for up to 9 dwellings, and reserved matters applications.

Tier A applications are often those that are the most locally contentious and where local knowledge provided by town and parish councils and other stakeholders is particularly relevant. Not allowing planning committees to scrutinize would strip away powers from local communities and make the planning process less transparent and democratic.

As part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill there is an 8-week technical consultation on how to reform planning committees. This runs until 23 July 2025, which asks whether a two-tier categorization setting out which applications must be delegated is desirable.

Council agrees:

1.    To ask Cabinet to ensure that council’s response to the technical consultation on the reform of planning committees emphasizes their importance and centrality as part of local democracy and objects strongly to the two-tiered system of automatic delegation proposed.

2.    To ask the Leader of the Council to monitor the outcome of the technical consultation and to write to the Secretary of State objecting to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill if it proceeds with its division of applications into Tier A and Tier B and automatic scheme of delegation.

3.    To encourage all stakeholders, officers, and councillors to provide comments as part of the consultation process.

Council meeting: Wednesday 16 July 2025

Proposer: Councillor Foxhall Seconder: Councillor James

Lead officer: Head of Policy and Programmes

This Council notes:

  • Vale of White Horse District Council has declared a climate emergency and is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions in its own operations by 2030 and in the district by 2045.
  • The district has significant potential for renewable energy development, particularly solar, which must be harnessed in a way that delivers genuine benefits for local communities.
  • Community energy organisations which are active across Oxfordshire, have demonstrated how local people can share in the benefits of renewable projects to help fund local net zero projects and reduce fuel poverty.
  • Without such a requirement, local communities risk being excluded from the economic and social benefits of the clean energy transition.

This Council believes:

  • That new renewable energy infrastructure has the opportunity to contribute positively to the wellbeing and prosperity of the communities hosting them, and this opportunity should be harnessed.
  • That the option for local shared ownership or benefit schemes should be offered by large-scale renewable developments to local communities.
  • That Vale of White Horse has an opportunity to lead by example in supporting fair, community-led energy.

This Council therefore resolves to:

  1. Request that the leader of the Council write to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Minister for Climate, and local MPs to express this Council’s support for clarity on Community Energy benefit options and urge legislative action.
  2. Encourage all developers of large-scale renewable energy schemes in Vale of White Horse District to work with community energy groups to maximise opportunities for Community Energy benefits options for local communities.
  3. Work with Oxfordshire County Council, neighbouring authorities and Community Energy Organisations to promote community-led energy and maximise local benefit from future renewable energy projects.