There are increased opportunities for housing and land promotion in Oxfordshire and Cotswold Districts, with the new National Planning Policy Framework increasing housing requirements in most areas, requiring authorities to plan for additional growth.
Most authorities are at a relatively early stage of their local plan review and will be bringing forward Local Plans taking account of the new NPPF. Following the withdrawal of the Oxford Local Plan 2040, the City Council has restarted its local plan review, providing opportunities for promotion of development sites.
Authorities are facing increased housing requirements under the new Standard Method for calculation. Notably, the housing requirement for South Oxfordshire District increases significantly by 663 dwellings per annum (dpa) from 579dpa under the previous NPPF to 1,242dpa taking account of the revised standard method. It remains to be seen whether the current Joint Local Plan will be approved following the current examination, or if the authority will be required to plan for significantly more housing.
Five-Year Land Supply
Many of the authorities are currently unable to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply, with Oxford City, Vale of White Horse and Cotswold District Council’s being the only authorities which have currently identified a 5-year supply.
Oxford City has identified a 5.93-year supply for the period 2024/25 to 2028/29 under its current Local Plan 2023 housing requirement (Annual Monitoring Report up to March 2024). This is adjusted to 5.66 years supply with a 10% buffer.
South Oxfordshire has identified 4.5-year housing land supply for the period from 2024 to 2029 (Housing Supply Statement, January 2025) under its adopted Local Plan. The authority identified a 5.79-years supply under its emerging Joint Local Plan.
Vale of White Horse has identified 5.81-year supply for the period from 2024 to 2029 (Housing Land Supply Statement, January 2025).
West Oxfordshire is unable to demonstrate a 5-year supply, as acknowledged by its Annual Monitoring Report (2023-2024). An appeal decision dated July 2024 for a development in Curbridge West Oxon established a 4.38-year supply (APP/D3125/W/22/3310486).
Cherwell’s Annual Monitoring Report 2024 (published Feb 2025) indicates a 2.3-year combined housing supply for the period from 2024 to 2029, taking account of Cherwell only housing land supply and the partial review addressing Oxford’s unmet need.
Cheltenham Borough Council has established a 4.57-year housing land supply for the period from April 2024 to March 2024 (Housing Land Supply Statement October 2024). A lower figure of 2.9 years supply has been derived at planning appeal.
Tewkesbury has established a 3.65-year housing land supply for the period up to March 2029 (Five Year Housing Land Supply Statement at March 2024, published November 2024).
Gloucester has identified a 4.7-year supply of housing land for the period up to March 2029 (Five Year Housing Land Supply Statement as of March 2024, published October 2024).
Cotswold District Council has identified a 6.9-year housing land supply in its Housing Land Supply Report (August 2023).
