Planning Oxfordshire's Environment and Transport Sustainably - "POETS"
We are local professionals and academics with long experience in planning, environment and transport.
We believe the follow principles should apply to planning Oxfordshire's future:
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Give priority to the climate emergency - e.g. high standards of energy and water efficiency, no new major roadbuilding, new development concentrated in urban areas, and buildings and infrastructure adapted to climate change.
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Support green spaces and active travel - benefitting health, the environment, and the economy.
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Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
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Provide well-designed, affordable and energy-efficient housing for all, with more social housing for rent.
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Reduce inequality - in particular, use the large increases in land value arising from planning decisions to improve public infrastructure, services and the environment
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Properly fund and empower planning departments.
Strong planning systems lead to more, better-quality homes
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Ensure decisions are made by local politicians with direct accountability.
End the "democratic deficit" of decisions made remotely by central government, influenced by unelected groups.
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Set clear planning targets, e.g. what measures are proposed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, intermediate targets, and potential additional measures if targets are missed
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Current levels of consumption and GDP growth will need to change in order to reflect these principles.
© POETS, 2022