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Meeting with Inspectors will discuss ways forward for Joint Local Plan

Published 8 January 2026

Council officers will meet with government planning Inspectors with the hope the districts’ Joint Local Plan will continue its examination.

In September, Inspectors examining the district councils’ plan said it had failed on the “Duty to Co-operate”, suggesting the councils might need to withdraw the plan from the examination process as a result.

But following a ministerial statement from Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, the government indicated that it intended to remove the Duty to Co-operate from the plan making process early this year, and that it would apply to Local Plans currently going through the examination process.

The Inspectors examining the Joint Local Plan wrote to the councils asking them how they’d like to proceed and they replied they’d like the examinations hearings to resume so the plan can move forward towards adoption.

The councils have now received a response from the Inspectors saying they have decided to hold a Procedural Meeting (PM) with the councils to discuss the best way forward for the examination process.

The meeting, which will be held in public at a date and time to be confirmed, will not discuss the soundness of the Plan but instead will focus on practical arrangements of resuming the examination of the Plan given the anticipated change in the law.

Cllr Anne-Marie Simpson, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “This news offers some welcome encouragement that our Joint Local Plan examination can move forward and we look forward to the meeting with Inspectors to discuss how this could happen. As I’ve said before, I believe this plan delivers on our vision and priorities as well as providing help to our neighbouring districts.”

Cllr Andy Foulsham, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Policy, Programmes and IT, said: “I’m pleased the Inspectors’ reply suggests that the tireless work over the past four years to reach this stage will not be wasted.

“This is a good Local Plan – it’s robust, innovative, forward-thinking and based on strong community engagement.”

ENDS

NOTE  TO EDITOR: