Tomorrow marks the start of a six-week consultation where people in Bicester can have their say about how Cherwell council should put together its new Local Plan.

Local Plans guide the development of new homes, workplaces and infrastructure.

Cherwell District Council will begin its three-year process of reviewing the policies in its existing Local Plan, creating key points to adopt into its new one timetabled for 2023.

The council is not proposing new planning policies, but is presenting a number of topics and themes for discussion.

ALSO READ: Anger as Oxford Local Plan reveals ploy for university-only housing in Cherwell

They include: the types of housing that will be built in the future, responding to the coronavirus pandemic, addressing the climate crisis and promoting healthy lifestyles.

These themes are captured in a document called 'Planning for Cherwell to 2040 - A Community Involvement Paper', which will be available to the public to view on the council website.

Residents are encouraged to submit any opinions about what should be included in the Plan.

Councillor Colin Clarke, lead member for planning, said: “As the local planning authority, it is vital that we continue to have sound and well-thought-out policies to inform decision making.

"This will be a three-year process and at this very early stage we want to have an open and wide-ranging conversation with local residents and stakeholders about their needs and aspirations.

“This piece of work will allow us to put strategies in place that cover the period up until 2040. It will make sure that in the coming years we continue to stay on the front foot and are able to keep pace with local conditions and the wider, changing world.”

ALSO READ: Cherwell reminds people to use licensed scrap metal services

The consultation will close on Monday, September 14.

Documents will not be available at the council’s usual deposit locations, because of coronavirus restrictions.

They will instead be available online and members of the planning policy team are available throughout the consultation to assist anyone who wants to respond.

Anyone who has queries or difficulty in accessing the documents online should contact the planning policy team on 01295 227985.