Final week to have your say on possible future development locations in West Oxfordshire
Residents, businesses and community groups are being reminded that there is one week left to comment on West Oxfordshire District Council’s Spatial Options consultation – the latest stage in preparing the new Local Plan.
The consultation, which looks at possible locations for future homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure up to 2043, closes on Monday 22 December 2025.
The Council has already received hundreds of responses through its online consultation platform, with over 250 people attending local drop-in events held in locations across the district, including Chipping Norton, Tackley, Witney, Long Hanborough, Brize Norton, Bampton, Milton Under Wychwood, and Standlake.
Cllr Hugo Ashton, Executive Member for Planning, said:
“We’re really grateful to everyone who has taken the time to read the proposals, come along to events, and share their thoughts with us so far. We know that talking about possible development sites is never easy, people care deeply about their towns, villages and countryside, and your feedback is vital for us to ensuring future development is planned in a way that works for our local communities.
“This consultation is about being transparent with residents on the options we’re considering, and the evidence behind them, before any final decisions are made. None of the locations in this consultation are ‘done deals’. We genuinely want to hear what you think – what feels right, what needs protecting, and how we can make sure any growth comes with the right infrastructure, green space and community facilities to support it.
“If you haven’t had your say yet, there is still a week to get involved. Your feedback now will help shape the draft Local Plan that we publish next year.”
The Preferred Spatial Options consultation follows earlier rounds of public engagement on what the new Local Plan should achieve and the planning policies that will underpin it. Together, those previous consultations have highlighted priorities such as providing more genuinely affordable homes, better infrastructure, tackling the climate and ecological emergency, more job and training opportunities, and protecting local character.
Feedback from this consultation will be analysed and further technical work is being prepared to inform the full draft Local Plan, which the Council expects to publish for formal consultation in mid-2026.
You can view the consultation document, explore interactive maps and submit comments online at: https://yourvoice.westoxon.gov.uk/en-GB/folders/preferred-spatial-options-nov2025
Contact Information
West Oxfordshire District Council Communications Team
Notes to editors
Comments can also be submitted by:
- Email: [email protected]
- Post: Planning Policy Team, West Oxfordshire District Council, Council Offices, Woodgreen, Witney, OX28 1NB
The new Local Plan will provide a framework for how West Oxfordshire grows and changes in the period up to 2043, ensuring that development happens in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure. It will address the district’s long-term needs for housing, employment, transport, and community facilities, while helping to tackle the climate and ecological emergency and protect the area’s distinctive landscapes and character.
The Preferred Spatial Options consultation is seeking public feedback on four key areas:
- Extending the Plan period: Whether to move the end date from 2041 to 2043 to ensure a 15-year period post-adoption in line with national policy. This would raise the housing requirement to 16,290 homes, with an overall supply target of around 18,000 to provide flexibility.
- Revised settlement hierarchy: Following feedback from previous consultations, the revised hierarchy responds to residents’ concerns and proposes to group towns and villages in a more logical way that better reflects the character and capacity of each place. As part of this, views will also be sought on the most appropriate levels of growth to plan for at each ‘tier’ of the hierarchy.
- Previously allocated sites: How to address existing allocations yet to be delivered — including Salt Cross Garden Village, West Eynsham, and sites at Witney and Carterton. The aim is to refresh and update those allocations to take account of relevant changes in circumstance since the previous Local Plan was adopted in 2018.
- New potential development areas: Considering options for future housing and employment growth, focusing on strategic-scale locations at Carterton and Witney, alongside smaller opportunities at Long Hanborough, Bampton, Standlake, Burford, Charlbury and Tackley. The Carterton Area Strategy sits within this wider approach, aiming to ensure sustainable growth supported by the right infrastructure from the outset.
The required housing supply will come from a mix of sources: around 2,330 homes from existing planning permissions once non-delivery is factored in; approximately 2,250 from smaller “windfall” sites that typically come forward over time; a further 5,375 from allocations already identified in the current Local Plan 2031, including major sites such as Salt Cross Garden Village, North Witney, East Chipping Norton, West Eynsham and the REEMA sites; and around 8,000 homes that will need to be identified through new allocations.
The Council has previously run 3 consultations covering:
- Initial Scoping Consultation (Aug–Oct 2022): Sought early views on the priorities and issues the new Local Plan should address. Read the summary.
- Focused Consultation on Objectives & Options (Aug–Oct 2023): Asked for views on draft objectives, development patterns and ideas for growth, and a call for sites. Read the summary.
- Preferred Policy Options Consultation (Jun–Aug 2025): Asked for feedback on proposed policy approaches to things like climate, infrastructure, economic development, and nature recovery; a set of revised objectives; and a proposed vision for the district. Read the summary.