ORAA recognises the need for more housing. We want to see more genuinely affordable homes for young people with vibrant communities at the heart of the new developments.

To do this the government and the planning system need to make some fundamental changes. We need

• Sustainable transport infrastructure that is not car dependent.
• Developments that are living spaces closer to facilities.
• Homes designed for local communities that are integrated
• Change to Government funding criteria that rewards sustainable transport rather than roads for cars that quickly fill the new road space.
• A development levy towards public transport infrastructure or local services
• Better public involvement in the approval process on long term local plans by Councils.

ORAA supports the goal of genuinely sustainable development in the Science Vale and South Oxfordshire. Healthy and thriving communities where people can afford to live are laudable objectives that we can all support and celebrate.

To achieve these ambitious plans Oxfordshire County Council and the District Councils need to change their focus from roads and cars to sustainable transport infrastructure.