Oxfordshire gears-up for COP26: Vale of White Horse District Council and MEPC to review Milton Park Local Development Order to meet 2040 Vision and respond to climate emergency

In the lead-up to this autumn’s COP26 event in Glasgowthrough our ‘Oxfordshire gears-up for COP26’ series we will be showcasing the many examples of how Oxfordshire’s immense energy expertise is being applied to exploring the boundaries of future energy and ultimately a drive towards a zero-carbon future:

The Vale of White Horse District Council and MEPC Milton Park one of Europe’s largest science and technology communities have agreed to review the Local Development Order (LDO) to help bring more sustainable investment to the park.

The review will look at how the changes can align to the council’s commitment to help tackle the climate emergency and create healthy communitiesand to support the Park’s 2040 Visionits pioneering masterplan for how the Park will sustainably grow to create 10000 new high value science and technology jobsbring forward the development of the Park’s Enterprise Zone sites and respond effectively to the climate emergency.

Milton Park’s LDO was originally adopted in December 2012 and runs to 2027. Since its adoptionthe LDO has achieved its objectives and resulted in the development of 14 new buildings including laboratory office technology space and a hoteltogether totalling around 550000 sq ft of floorspace and the creation of approximately 1000 new jobs.

It has also facilitated investment into sustainable travel initiatives to improve people’s health and wellbeing and local air quality and contributed towards substantial economic benefits including retention and reinvestment of business rates growth income.

Local planning authorities such as the Vale of White Horse can adopt LDOs to create a positive planning environment and thereby make investment into identified areas more attractive. They can help to speed up granting planning permissionwhich helps to put the right type of development in the right location.

Described by former secretary of state Sir Eric Pickles as a “shining example” the Milton Park LDO received a Royal Town Planning Institute award in 2013 and a Planning Magazine award in 2015.

The council will consider the modifications required to help align to its own updated Local and Corporate Plans and Milton Park’s 2040 Vision and review the new legislative changes to Use Classes an official list that determines what properties may be used for and other proposed planning reforms. The council supported by MEPC Milton Park will carry out a public consultation later this year on the proposed modifications before it is considered by the council.

Cllr Debby Hallett Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Transformation at Vale of White Horse District Council said: “The Milton Park LDO is an important part of our Science Vale strategy to provide an attractive environment for start-up businesses to grow and businesses looking to relocate – helping to create new jobs in science and technology and other sectors.

“The proposed modifications will be part of a public consultation later this year and once considered and agreed by the council will have the potential to build on our aims to support local communities and tackle the climate emergency.”

Philip Campbell MEPC Commercial Director Milton Park added: “We welcome the Vale of White Horse’s positive and proactive approach. Their pioneering vision has enabled the Park to flourish resulting in investment that has led us to being able to respond to the immediate demand from businesses to build new office and lab space and create jobs and provide sustainable travel modes ensuring that we continue to contribute to the local and national economy.

“Following extensive stakeholder consultationlast year we adopted our 2040 Vision. Our vision sets out our masterplan for sustainable growth and outlines how we will continue to provide a long term home for organisations whatever their size or stage of growth from spin-outs to global research companies. We look forward to working with the council and engaging with all stakeholders from the business community to local residentsas public consultation progresses.”

Milton Park’s 2040 Vision is set in the context of the council’s Corporate Plan 2020-2024 Science Vale Enterprise Zones the Didcot Garden Town Delivery PlanLocal Plan 2031and the emerging Oxfordshire Plan 2050 and Oxford to Cambridge Arc Economic Prospectus.

Find out more Milton Park’s 2040 vision

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (or ‘COP26’) takes place in Glasgow this November. The summit brings parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In Oxfordshirethe low carbon energy sector generates £1.15bn a year. Over the past half-decadethe county has attracted £2bn in foreign direct investment. Oxfordshire’s Energy Strategy for zero-carbon growth by 2050 will help to spearhead a further £1.35bn annually to our economycreating at least 11000 new jobs in the low-carbon sector by 2030. 

Find out more on the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy 

Find out more on EP:50