The Planning & Regulation Committee of Oxfordshire County Council was scheduled to consider changes to the national scheme of delegation for planning functions and an application for the determination of conditions for planning permission at Thrupp Farm, Radley. The meeting agenda also included the minutes of the previous meeting and provisions for petitions and public address.

National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions

The committee was scheduled to consider a report on the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026¹, which introduce a mandatory national scheme of delegation for planning functions. The report recommended that the committee delegate the implementation of arrangements necessary to comply with these regulations to the Director of Law and Governance, in consultation with the Director of Economy and Place. It was also recommended that the Chair and Deputy Chair of the committee be appointed as nominated Members, and the Planning Development Manager and Planning Applications Team Leader be appointed as nominated officers, for the purposes of these regulations. The committee was also scheduled to note that the Council's Constitution would be amended to reflect these requirements.

The Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which were due to take effect on 31 October 2026, aim to reform the operation of Planning Committees in England by introducing a framework for determining which planning applications are decided by officers and which are referred to committee. This scheme divides applications into two schedules: Schedule 1 applications must be delegated to officers, while Schedule 2 applications are presumed to be delegated unless nominated officers and members agree they should be referred to committee based on economic, social, or environmental significance, or significant planning matters.

Land at Thrupp Farm, Radley, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

The committee was scheduled to consider an application for the determination of conditions to which planning permission is to be subject for land at Thrupp Farm, Radley². This application relates to planning permissions DD1 and DD2, which permit the extraction of sand and gravel. The report detailed the site's location within the Oxford Green Belt, its ecological significance as part of the Radley Gravel Pits Local Wildlife Site³, and the historical context of previous planning decisions and legal opinions concerning the site.

The application was for the determination of conditions to govern the winning, working, and restoration of minerals. The applicant, H Tuckwell and Sons Ltd, had submitted proposed conditions, and the Council's officers had also suggested alternative conditions. A key point of contention was the potential loss of irreplaceable and priority habitats⁴, with the Council's ecologist recommending a condition to prevent development in these areas. However, the applicant argued that such a condition would render the quarry uneconomic and lead to a significant compensation liability for the Council.

The report also highlighted a complex legal issue regarding the interpretation of Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 1995⁵, specifically concerning the deadline for submitting ROMP applications. Legal opinions from counsel had been obtained, with conflicting conclusions on whether the mineral permissions had ceased to have effect in 2016 due to a failure to submit the application by the review date. This jurisdictional question was a significant factor in the committee's deliberations.

The committee was also scheduled to consider extensive consultation responses from various bodies, including Vale of White Horse District Council, Radley Parish Council, Radley Lakes Trust⁶, the Environment Agency, and OCC Ecology and Landscape officers. These responses raised concerns about biodiversity impacts, flood risk, groundwater protection, traffic, restoration plans, and the adequacy of proposed conditions.

The officer's recommendation was to refer the application to the Secretary of State for consideration of a call-in, citing the significant areas of legal and policy conflict and the lack of precedent. Should the Secretary of State decline to call it in, the Director of Economy and Place would be authorised to determine the conditions, but crucially, without the condition restricting development in irreplaceable and priority habitats. This recommendation was made despite the Council's ecologist's concerns about unacceptable ecological harm.

The committee was also scheduled to receive minutes from the previous meeting held on 20 July 2026.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND. Proceedings were to be available to view online via a live stream link.