Why two Joint Local Plans?
New government regulations mean that at the same time as working towards adopting our first Joint Local Plan, we are required to start preparing our next plan for the area, which would run to 2045. This is known as ‘twin-tracking’.
Nearly 40 other councils around the country preparing their last plan under the previous arrangements are in the same position – so we are not unique in ‘twin-tracking’ two plans simultaneously.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Local government is potentially changing in our area. In July 2026 the Government announced that they were minded to replace the four districts, city council and county council in Oxfordshire along with West Berkshire Council with three brand-new unitary authorities. On 7 September 2026 the Government paused the LGR process for a review. The decision and timetable for LGR is therefore uncertain at the time of publication of this Scoping Consultation.
Regardless of the future geography, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils must begin the plan-making process now, with responsibility for its later stages potentially transferring to new authorities.
Following adoption of JLP2 (currently anticipated in 2029), if local government geographies change, its planning policies will apply in the areas that fall within the current South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district boundaries.