We now have formal confirmation that the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme will be decided by Oxfordshire County Council Planing and Regulation Committee on 15 July. The officers report recommends approval of the scheme. Copies of the agenda and the officer’s report area available online here.

The 160 page report includes a detailed review of all aspects relevant to the planning application which the committee needs to consider. The full text of the recommendation to support is as follows:

The application has been considered against the development plan, taking account of material considerations including statutory and non-statutory consultation responses and public representations. It is recommended that, subject to the application first being referred to the Secretary of State to consider
whether he wishes to call it in for his own determination and to conditions to be determined by the Head of Strategic Planning, including those listed in Annex 1, and the signing of a Section 106 Agreement to secure 30 years Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan for offsite Biodiversity Net Gain and a monitoring fee, the application is approved.

Oxford Flood Alliance will be at the planning meeting and expects to address the committee. We very much hope they will approve the application. This is the culmination of ten years of work on the scheme. If planning consent is granted it will leave only one further hurdle to clear, approval of the Compulsory Purchase Order by the new Secretary of State at DEFRA, Steve Reed. A public inquiry into the CPO concluded in January this year but a decision on the inspectors report was delayed by the calling of the general election. We hope approval will be given in the next couple of months.