South Oxfordshire calls Government’s investment zone initiative “disaster in making” 

Councillors in South Oxfordshire have made it clear they wouldn’t be happy to see the government’s investment zones in their district and have welcomed the county council’s decision not to bid for any in Oxfordshire.  

As part of the recent mini-budget, the government announced the plans for the investment zones that would seek to relax planning rules around development and “remove burdensome EU requirements” to encourage local growth and investment. 

However, South Oxfordshire councillors backed a motion put forward by Councillor Robin Bennett robustly objecting to the zones. 

Cllr Bennett, said: “The council has agreed that the UK government’s so-called ‘investment zones’, proposed by the Chancellor in his recent ‘mini-budget’, are a disaster in the making, for the environment, local communities, democracy and public finances. 

“The government frames local consultations and environmental regulations as ‘burdensome requirements’ but they’re vital for ensuring local residents have a say in what takes place in their communities and in ensuring the country meets its requirements towards climate change and increasing net biodiversity.” 

Cllr Bennett’s motion explained that: “Development which ‘responds to the market’ in these zones is required to be additional to the sites already set out in Local Plans, which are carefully planned to respond to local needs and to respect the local environment. Investment zones will be able to ‘relax’ well-evidenced policy requirements that have been consulted on and approved by local councillors. Those policies are there for a reason. Responding to the market alone is not enough: South Oxfordshire’s residents need to be heard, not sidelined, and our environment respected.” 

It comes as Councillor David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, welcomed a letter from Oxfordshire County Council to Simon Clarke, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, explaining why it had decided the county should not bid to be involved in Whitehall’s investment zones initiative. 

Cllr Rouane said: “I am pleased the county council took on board our reservations following the letter I wrote to Cllr Leffman earlier in the week. 

“Whilst the Government have not provided all the detail as yet on Investment Zones, from what they have provided to date, it is difficult to see how they fit with the principles of the Oxfordshire Strategic Vision or the policies for ‘Achieving Good Growth’ which have been agreed by all of the Oxfordshire councils.  

“We do not want to see low value unfettered development. The lifting of planning regulations suggested clearly goes against our countywide firm commitments on climate and environment in the agreed vision.” 

You can read Cllr Rouane’s letter on South Oxfordshire’s correspondence webpage, and you can see Cllr Bennett’s full motion on the full council meeting agenda webpage.