Oxford City Council response to Questions Second Set of Inspectors’ initial 1 to 51 questions and comments (IC.2) Contents Q1. Policy H3: Employer-linked affordable housing ........................................................................... 4 Q2. Policy H8: Provision of new student accommodation .................................................................... 9 Q3. Policy H10: Accessible and adaptable homes ............................................................................... 23 Q4. Policy H15: Internal space standards ............................................................................................ 24 Q5. Policy RE3: Flood risk management .............................................................................................. 26 Q6. Policy RE4: Sustainable drainage, surface and groundwater flow ............................................... 27 Q7. Policy RE5: Health, Wellbeing and Health Impact Assessments ................................................... 28 Q8. Policy RE6: Air quality ................................................................................................................... 30 Q9. Policy RE7: Managing the impact of development ....................................................................... 31 Q10. Policy G2: Protection of biodiversity and geodiversity ................................................................. 33 Q11. Policy G3: Green Belt .................................................................................................................... 37 Q12. Policy G5: Outdoor sports ............................................................................................................. 38 Q13. Policy G7: Other green and open spaces ...................................................................................... 40 Q14. Paragraph 6.10 (Preamble to Policy DH1: High quality design and placemaking) and Appendix 6 42 Q15. Policy DH2: Views and building heights ........................................................................................ 44 Q16. Policy DH3: Designated heritage assets ........................................................................................ 49 Q17. Policy DH4: Archaeological remains ............................................................................................. 51 Q18. Policy DH5: Local Heritage Assets ................................................................................................. 53 Q19. Policy DH6: Shopfronts and signage ............................................................................................. 55 Q20. Policy M1: Prioritising walking, cycling and public transport ....................................................... 56 Q21. Policy M2: Assessing and managing development ....................................................................... 58 Q22. Policy M3: Motor vehicle parking ................................................................................................. 61 Q23. Policy M5: Cycle parking ............................................................................................................... 70 Q24. Policy V1: Ensuring the vitality of centres .................................................................................... 73 Q25. Policy V2: Shopping frontages in the city centre .......................................................................... 75 Q26. Policy V3: The Covered Market..................................................................................................... 80 Q27. Policy V4: District and Local Centre Shopping Frontages ............................................................. 81 Q28. Policy V5: Sustainable tourism ...................................................................................................... 85 Q29. Policy V6: Cultural and social activities ......................................................................................... 88 Q30. Policy V7: Infrastructure and cultural and community facilities .................................................. 89 Q31. Policy V8: Utilities ......................................................................................................................... 90 Q32. Policy SP1: Sites in the West End .................................................................................................. 95 2 Q33. Areas of Change: Cowley Centre District Centre, East Oxford-Cowley Road District Centre, Summertown District Centre, Headington District Centre, Cowley Branch Line, Marston Road, Old Road ....................................................................................................................................... 96 Q34. Policy SP17: Government Buildings and Harcourt House ............................................................. 99 Q35. Policy SP 19: Land surrounding St Clement’s Church ................................................................. 100 Q36. Sites Released from the Green Belt (Policies SP24 to SP31) ...................................................... 101 Q37. Policy SP34: Canalside Land ........................................................................................................ 111 Q38. Policy SP39: Former Iffley Mead Playing Fields .......................................................................... 112 Q39. Policy SP41: Jesus College Sports Ground .................................................................................. 113 Q40. Policy SP42: John Radcliffe Hospital Site .................................................................................... 115 Q41. Policy SP44: Lincoln College Sports Ground ............................................................................... 116 Q42. Policy SP48: Nielsen, London Road (Thornhill Park) ................................................................... 118 Q43. Policy SP49: Old Power Station ................................................................................................... 119 Q44. Policy SP51: Oxford Brookes University Marston Road Campus ................................................ 120 Q45. Policy SP52: Oxford Stadium ....................................................................................................... 121 Q46. Policy SP53: Oxford University Press Sports Ground .................................................................. 124 Q47. Policy SP55: Radcliffe Observatory Quarter; Policy SP66: Ruskin College Campus and Policy SP57: Ruskin Field ....................................................................................................................... 126 Q48. Policy SP62: Valentia Road site ................................................................................................... 130 Q49. Policy SP64: Wolvercote Paper Mill ............................................................................................ 133 Q50. Policy SP65: Bayards Hill Primary School Part Playing Fields ...................................................... 134 Q51. Policy SP66: William Morris Close Sports Ground ...................................................................... 136 Appendix 1: Background information for Policy SP52: Oxford Stadium ................................................ 138 3 Q1. Policy H3: Employer-linked affordable housing Is it necessary for the Council to exert the degree of control over employer- linked affordable housing set out in Policy H3? In particular, is it necessary for the policy to require Council approval for the list of items in subsection (a) (d) (e) (f) (g) and (h) bearing in mind that the organisations concerned will have their own on-site operational requirements, their own staffing requirements and their own appropriate tenancy arrangements tailored to their needs? What are the planning reasons that justify such an approach given that the sites are presumably suitable for housing in any event? 1.1 This policy provides an alternative approach to that of Policy H2 on affordable housing. By exempting these developments from the normal requirements for affordable homes under Policy H2, the City Council is offering a significant opportunity for those employers to provide for their own needs and address the sector of society between those able to access traditional affordable housing and those able to access market housing for sale or rent. Application of this alternative approach is dependent on a series of criteria that collectively ensure the policy is effective and that the accommodation provided is affordable in perpetuity given there will be no requirement for affordable housing included social rented housing in line with Policy H2 on these specified sites. It will be important in order to be effective that the rent levels are affordable for employees and that if it is no longer needed by the employer that 50% of the units remain affordable. If general market housing is to be provided on these sites then Policy H2 will apply to that element of the housing. 1.2 Recruitment and retention problems due to affordability and housing issues are some of the most consistently raised concerns of businesses in Oxford as evidenced by representations received from the first issues consultation and the preferred options consultations. The response from Oxford University Estates, First Options consultation July 2016 stated that the University has identified fixed-term, junior employees such as post-doctoral researchers and other staff as having particularly acute housing challenges. These employees need to