Councils pay college £545,500 after planning delay

Two councils have paid a total of £545,500 to an Oxford University college after delays to a planning decision.

Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council were told to pay the costs to Merton College over its planning application for 540 homes at Rutten Lane in Yarnton.

The college first submitted the application in 2021, but in 2023 decided to appeal because Cherwell District Council failed to make a decision on it.

The authority said it had carried out a "thorough examination" of the case and an action plan was in place.

The Planning Inspectorate awarded costs to Merton College as part of the appeal.

Figures obtained by the BBC show that Cherwell District Council has now paid £401,769.74 and Oxfordshire County Council has paid £145,500.

The inspector's report said that Cherwell District Council had "delayed development that should clearly have been permitted".

It added that Oxfordshire County Council behaved "unreasonably" over a request for a contribution to highway works at the Peartree Interchange as part of the application.

The development is part of the 4,400 new homes allocated by Cherwell Council in Yarnton, north Oxford, Kidlington and Begbroke to meet Oxford's housing needs.

A report released by Cherwell District Council's auditors said that a review had found significant "weaknesses" in the authority's handling of the application.

It said: "The council has already been financially exposed as a result of these weaknesses and, if left unaddressed, there is a risk that the situation reoccurs with other strategic site applications it handles."

A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: "A thorough examination of the case has been undertaken.

"An internal management action plan has been prepared to address the findings of that examination for immediate implementation."

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said it had "considered the Planning Inspectorate's decision and it will continue to review its internal procedures related to the outcome of this appeal and subsequent costs ordered against the authority".

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.