Carbon neutral village plans approved by government

Plans to build a new carbon neutral village that could be home to 5,000 people have been approved by the government.

West Oxfordshire District Council wants to build 2,200 homes in Salt Cross garden village north of the A40 between Witney and Oxford, near Eynsham.

This week, a government planning inspector approved the authority's outline plan for the site to be carbon neutral, saying it met national planning rules and the site could now move towards final approval.

Hugo Ashton, the authority's planning chief, said the outcome was a "huge moment for Salt Cross and for West Oxfordshire".

"Salt Cross is all about doing things differently," he said.

"From the beginning, we've worked to prove that net zero development can be practical, viable and legally robust, and I am extremely proud that we have been able to achieve that."

He added that plans for the new community showed "strong local ambition, backed by evidence and community support, can create a framework for better, climate-conscious places".

Alongside thousands of new homes, plans for Salt Cross include schools, community facilities, public transport routes and a new country park.

Under the council's policy, all buildings will produce net zero carbon emissions.

Planning inspectors had previously scuppered the authority's plans in 2023, questioning the council on its net zero carbon development and whether it was consistent with national policy.

But the High Court overturned the judgement in 2024, after it found inspectors had incorrectly applied national planning policy for the development.

The latest government approval, which found the council's net zero development policy "justified, effective and fit for purpose", now brings the development closer than ever before.

An outline planning application is currently under review, with detailed applications for individual parts of the development following "in due course", the council said.

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