Biodiversity Net Gain
Case reference EIR2023/00596
Published 31 January 2024
Request
Good afternoon, I am writing to request information I am entitled to under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I am requesting the following information: * Any policies and papers, from 1 Jan 2022 to 1 November 2023, stating the percentage of biodiversity net gain your council will require as a condition for planning permission (under the Environment Act 2021) (a) as part of an agreed Local Plan; or (b) as part of a draft Local Plan. * Any polices and papers, from1 Jan 2019 to 1 November 2023, stating whether you have formally declared a nature/ecological emergency. * Any policies and papers, from 1 Jan 2022 to 1 November 2023, containing a target for your area to contribute to protect and manage 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. * On what date your current Local Plan will be five years old and when you expect a new Local Plan to be agreed.
Response
Response
• Any policies and papers, from 1 Jan 2022 to 1 November 2023, stating the percentage of biodiversity net gain your council will require as a condition for planning permission (under the Environment Act 2021) (a) as part of an agreed Local Plan; or (b) as part of a draft Local Plan.
There are no policies or papers produced by Oxford City Council between these dates establishing a biodiversity net gain target as a condition for planning permission. The Oxford Local Plan 2036, adopted June 2020, established a requirement that major development on vegetated sites would need to deliver at least a 5% net gain in biodiversity. This will be superseded by the statutory framework introduced by Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (inserted by the Environment Act 2021), under which every grant of planning permission is deemed to have been granted subject to a general biodiversity gain condition to secure the biodiversity gain objective (with specific exemptions established in legislation). This objective is to deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. The Oxford Local Plan 2040 Submission Draft was published for consultation on 10th November 2023. The relevant policy, Policy G4, does not propose changing this percentage.
• Any polices and papers, from1 Jan 2019 to 1 November 2023, stating whether you have formally declared a nature/ecological emergency.
Confirming commitment to addressing ecological emergency (October 2022): https://mycouncil.oxford.gov.uk/documents/b22942/Minute%20Supplement%20for%20Item%2047a%20-%20Declaring%20an%20ecological%20emergency%20-%20amendment%202%20submitted%20at%20the%20me.pdf?T=9https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/2294/need_to_tackle_ecological_emergency_underlined_as_swift_nests_decline_in_city
• Any policies and papers, from 1 Jan 2022 to 1 November 2023, containing a target for your area to contribute to protect and manage 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.
This target was not adopted and the revised target of reaffirming the City's commitment to addressing the ecological emergency was instead adopted - please see link to first document in previous answer.
• On what date your current Local Plan will be five years old and when you expect a new Local
Plan to be agreed.
The existing Local Plan was adopted 8th June 2020 (more info here), as such, it will be five years old on 8th June 2025.
The timetable for the new Local Plan 2040 process is set out in the Council's Local Development Scheme (LDS) which is available on the website here. As per the LDS, we expect to submit the Local Plan for examination in Spring 2024, after this, the timetable of the examination is outside of our control, however based on previous experience, the LDS anticipates adoption would be expected in June 2025 following the examination.
Documents
This is Oxford City Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.