Tuesday 28 January 2020

What price ‘Localism’ now?


I expect most of you will have heard by now of the controversy surrounding the South Oxfordshire Local Plan. This plan got as far as its formal examination in March of last year, under the former Tory administration in South Oxon, but was the subject of furious opposition by local residents who were horrified at the huge increase in housing development that was proposed across the area. This may well have been a factor in the defeat of the Tories in South Oxon in the May 2019 council elections, leading to control of the council being taken over by a coalition of Lib Dems with the Green Party.

The new council withdrew the draft plan from examination in October, because of concern over the increased housing target in the new plan, coupled with the issues raised by the climate emergency, which they felt had not been given sufficient weight in formulating the plan. Most of all, the decision reflected the serious concerns of local electors, which had been expressed through the ballot box in May.

The government had been attempting to bribe Oxfordshire authorities with a promise of more than £200 million in infrastructure grants if they would accept a substantial increase in housing in the county. The proposed withdrawal of the Local Plan promptly led to the government threatening to withdraw this funding. But SODC was not deterred, and made it clear that they would nevertheless persist in their intention of withdrawing their local plan.

Having failed to bribe the council, the government then resorted to threats. A holding direction was issued by the Secretary of State in order to prevent SODC from carrying out their intention, and he followed this up with threats to call in the Local Plan, and then to hand it to the Tory-controlled Oxfordshire County Council to handle. (Unfortunately, it seems that MHLG did not warn OCC of their intention beforehand, and the County is still in the dark as to where the resources are to be found for taking on this task!)

Robert Jenrick (Secretary-of-State-for-the-time-being-pending-Boris-Johnson’s-pleasure) demanded that South Oxfordshire Council should write to him by the end of this month to explain themselves. This they have now done, making a number of very reasonable points, and taking an emollient line (including a request for face-to-face talks with Jenrick, if he’s still there after the pending cabinet reshuffle). Perhaps the most important point in the letter, in addition to the need to address the climate emergency was the fact that the councillors now in office were elected on the basis of their opposition to the draft local plan, and that they therefore have what they believe is “a clear electoral mandate given to us by the residents of South Oxfordshire”. As the council leader pointed out in her letter, the proposed course of action threatened by Jenrick would be a dangerous precedent that would undermine local democracy. It is a great irony that John Howell, the MP for Henley whose constituency covers a large part of South Oxfordshire, was the author of the Tories’ ‘Green Paper’ before the 2010 General Election, which introduced the concept of “localism”, coupled with a commitment that the level of development should be determined at a local level, rather than being imposed from above.

I am not trying to take sides in this dispute. Clearly there are arguments on both sides. The Secretary of State does have the necessary powers to take the action he has threatened, but he must act reasonably (in accordance with the Wednesbury principles). If the matter is taken out of SODC’s hands, an application to the High Court for judicial review seems a distinct possibility. At the moment, both parties seem to be circling each other warily, trying not to put a legal foot wrong. But I can’t help feeling that m’learned friends are already salivating at the prospect of a juicy case ahead.

We shall see.

© MARTIN H GOODALL

3 comments:

  1. There would seem to be a similar situation developing in Uttlesford District set in North Essex. Residents 4 Uttlesford an independant political party almost entirely swept away the Tory administration at the last Council elections including its Leader in a previously safe seat. They were supported by many local people objecting to the proposed local plan with it's large amount of housing proposed. That plan now seems to be dead in the water so it would be interesting to see how a community led approach will fare....

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    1. I would expect this to be the thin end of the wedge, taking the news of Cherwell this morning. Guildford, Warrington and others relying on Green Belt release may be next.

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  2. A small point of clarification. SODC never actually withdrew the plan from examination. On 6 October 2019 the SODC Cabinet recommended withdrawal. The withdrawal motion was to be debated by the full council on 10 October. Less than 24 hours before the Council meeting Jenrick wrote the letter preventing the Council from debating (or voting on ) the withdrawal motion. On the 10th the Council chamber was packed, with 40 members of the public, and organisations ready to speak. At the start of the meeting the instruction from Jenrick was read out and the meeting adjourned. Since then Councillors and the Leader of the Council have been forbidden to formally debate the plan or speak of it in public. So much for local democracy. Furthermore the Council are prevented from beginning work on a new plan, in the light of the Climate Emergency, which requires us to halve our greenhouse gas emissions in the next 10 years, this is an absolute disgrace.

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