Spring has arrived, and with it the local elections on 7 May. Last week, the candidates for 16 Cherwell District Council (CDC) wards were announced. A third, or 14 seats are up for election, and two additional wards have by-elections. 31 parish councils are also electing new councillors on the 7th.

What these elections mean for local planning and development

Quite a lot, in fact. CDC is responsible for local planning decisions ranging from garages being converted into granny annexes to town-sized housing developments, and everything in between. CDC also liaises with other planning authorities including the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), neighbouring councils and the County Council, and with a wide range of statutory consultees such as Thames Valley Police, the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency. In other words, CDC has a lot of stakeholders to serve aside from Cherwell Valley residents.

Who we vote into the council influences decisions made by the council, and the relationships CDC has with its stakeholders – including developers.

The election affects the planning committee

Nine of the 16 seats are currently occupied by members of the planning committee, making up half the committee. This means the planning committee is getting a shake-up worth noting. It is worth noting that PINS is recommending reducing the size of planning committees to 11-13 members, as announced in the recent Reform of Planning Committees consultation recommendations.

Planning committee members whose seats are up for election are:

• Barry Wood (Con), Fringford & the Heyfords Ward and chair of the planning committee.
• Amanda Watkins (Lab), Banbury Ruscote Ward and vice-chair
• David Hingley (LD), Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote Ward
• Ian Harwood (Con), Banbury Calthorpe and Easington Ward
• Chris Pruden (LD), Bicester South and Ambrosden Ward
• John Broad (Ind), Bicester West Ward
• Jean Conway (LD), Kidlington West Ward (standing for Fringford and the Heyfords Ward)
• Fiona Mawson (Green), Kidlington East Ward
• Phil Chapman (Con), Cropredy, Sibfords and Wroxton Ward

Four councillors who are substitutes for the planning committee are also up for re-election:

• Eddie Reeves (Con), Deddington Ward
• Chukwudi Okeke (Con), Banbury Cross and Neithrop
• Rebecca Biegel (Lab), Banbury and Grimsbury Ward
• Andrew Crichton (Lab), Banbury Hardwick Ward

Who to vote for?

That’s up to you, of course! To see who is standing in your ward, see this page and click on your ward.

To give you an idea where each party stands on local planning matters, we have trawled through what is currently available on local party websites. But be warned, it’s a mixed bag… in no particular order then:

Greens North and West Oxfordshire

Expressed concerns over flooding and traffic if new houses are built in Yarnton; cited huge local opposition at seeing the green belt removed in 2020. Campaigned to protect green belt from inappropriate development.

Cllr Fiona Mawson (Kidlington East) campaigned on wildlife friendly low noise fireworks, planning issues, flooding, affordable housing and improved travel infrastructure.

North Oxfordshire Conservatives

Campaign: Sustainable Development, Not Over Development! Infrastructure before development, specifically aimed at Heyford and Banbury’s surrounding villages.

Worried about “proposals that outpace the capacity of our roads, schools, GP surgeries, and sewage systems”.

Reform Oxfordshire

Reform Oxfordshire’s website doesn’t appear to have been updated since last year. In any case, it doesn’t give any details on local policies or present an election programme for the local elections in Cherwell. Its only content announces Reform plans to remove illegal immigrants from the UK, which would be a national policy local councillors have no influence over.

Liberal Democrats Oxfordshire

The Lib Dems have two local parties in North Oxfordshire: Banbury and Bicester & Woodstock.

Lisa Smith (Kidlington West) campaigned to save local land from a housing development. Jean Conway, standing for Fringford and Heyfords ward, shares locals’ concerns on planning developments in the ward. No local manifesto at present.

Oxford & District Labour

The local Labour website is quite Oxford-centric and not as informative on local matters beyond the city as a result. Providing Oxford with more housing is a key campaign point for Labour.

An election manifesto for Oxfordshire dates from March 2025, supporting the County Council elections. In it, they express concerns about unspent developer contributions, the transport ‘nightmare’ in Oxfordshire, and nature recovery, which includes forcing water companies to clean up our rivers.

Your vote matters

Voting on the 7th is an opportunity to make your views count. Let’s head to the polls, because every vote counts!