Planning, particularly strategic planning, can be mind-numbing at times. I’m not sure the little attempt to make the City Council’s Core Strategy interesting will entice many to read it, but it is an important document, defining aims for Oxford in terms of house-building and the facilities to support them.

It is not yet adopted as policy, but it’s nearly there. It’s been through several stages of drafting and consulting and is now out to final consultation for a 6-week consultation period, running from Friday 5th September – Friday 17th October.  This is the final stage of consultation before it is submitted to the Secretary of State towards the end of November.  An examination is likely to take place in March 2009.

In case you’re still reading: at this stage, it starts to have weight in relation to decisions on particular planning applications, but it is limited until it’s actually been formally submitted it to the Secretary of State.

This document does matter, so do go onto the City Council’s website by clicking on the link above and look at it.