The Planning & Regulation Committee of Oxfordshire Council was scheduled to discuss a part retrospective planning application for a combined heat and power plant at Ferris Hill Farm, Hook Norton. The committee was also due to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, with one item being held in private session.

Combined Heat and Power Plant at Ferris Hill Farm

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to a part retrospective application for the creation of a development platform, erection of a new building, and the installation and operation of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant, along with associated landscape works, at Ferris Hill Farm, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury (OX15 5JY).

The report pack indicated that the application, reference MW.0027/24, was recommended for refusal. The primary reasons for this recommendation centred on waste policy. It was suggested that the proposed development would divert a substantial proportion of waste currently recycled at the safeguarded Banbury Plant & Skip Hire site into residual waste treatment through incineration. This would move waste down the waste hierarchy, contrary to policy W2 of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Core Strategy (OMWCS) and the National Planning Policy for Waste. Furthermore, the proposal was noted to provide no increase in recycling capacity and not address the identified shortfall in non-hazardous waste recycling capacity in Oxfordshire. As no need for additional residual waste treatment capacity had been demonstrated, the development was considered contrary to policies W1 and W3 of the OMWCS.

Another key reason for the recommended refusal was that the proposed development would include greenfield land, extending waste management operations onto previously undeveloped agricultural land. The applicant had not demonstrated that this would be the most suitable or sustainable option, making the development contrary to policy W5 of the OMWCS.

Finally, the proposal was deemed not to constitute sustainable development. It was argued that it had not been demonstrated that it would not increase the incineration of waste material capable of being recycled, thus moving the management of waste down the waste hierarchy. This was not considered to be outweighed by the claimed energy recovery benefits relating to local heat and electricity supply. Therefore, the development was seen as failing to deliver sustainable outcomes and not being sustainable development, contrary to policy C1 of the OMWCS and policies PSD1 and ESD3 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2031.

The report pack detailed the proposed development, which included the construction of a CHP plant designed to generate approximately 2.4 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity and 8MW of heat energy, burning approximately 10,000-20,000 tonnes of waste per year. The application was partly retrospective as the platform and some bunding works had already been constructed. The report also outlined proposed landscaping works, including the creation of a revised landform and planting schemes. The building itself was described as a steel portal-framed shed with a flue stack.

The report pack also detailed various planning policies relevant to the application, including those from the OMWCS and the Cherwell Local Plan. It noted that the site was located in Flood Zone 1 and that the land was classified as grade 3b agricultural land. The report also addressed biodiversity, arboriculture, landscape, flood risk, local amenity, highways, agricultural land and soils, carbon emissions, and sustainable development.

Consultation responses from various bodies were summarised, including objections from Cherwell District Council's Planning department regarding the impact on rural character and appearance, and concerns from Thames Water regarding water network infrastructure. However, Natural England, the Environment Agency, Cotswolds Conservation Board, and OCC Transport Development Control had no objections, subject to certain conditions or further information.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2026. An Exempt Item was also listed, concerning exempt minutes of the previous meeting. The report indicated that this item would be discussed in private session due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972. This information was described as falling within categories related to legal professional privilege.

Petitions and Public Address

The agenda also included a section for petitions and public address, allowing members of the public to speak on items on the agenda or present a petition. The process for submitting requests to speak or present petitions was outlined.