1. Cherwell Sustainable Community Strategy

2. Sustainable Community Strategy Evidence Base Policy Local Knowledge

3. Relationship between Local Development Framework and Community Strategy LDF is delivery vehicle for Community Strategy Turn ‘vision’ into policy Ensure cross-cutting approach is taken Government guidance (PPS 12) requires LDF to align to Community Strategy to pass the test

4. Sustainable Community Strategy Evidence Base Policy Local Knowledge

5. Creating a robust evidence base ‘Lies, damn lies and statistics’ Profiling of District and individual settlements to include : Official sources– eg. population or unemployment Locally sourced information – eg. parish plan questionnaire or health issue

6. Creating a robust evidence base ‘Lies, damn lies and statistics’ However, it is known that statistics at this level ‘mask’ rural deprivation issues One key task for the SCS is to identify how best to look at rural evidence

7. Population 137,600 people (63% are working age) About a third live in rural areas. Two thirds of villages have pop. Of less than 500 Average household size is 2.33 persons per dwelling (falling to 2.21 in 2016) The population group of over 75’s in rural Cherwell expected to grow by 81% over 20 years.

8. Economy 68,000 jobs (80% in services) in 5800 workplaces Rural Cherwell has 28% home-based workers (above county and regional averages) 3.9 % unemployment but JSA claimant levels only total 1400 6800 economically inactive people wanting a job (45% higher than GB average) Most rural economically active commute Skills profile similar to UK average (50% NVQ Level 3 +) but well below Oxfordshire

9. Housing House prices in rural Cherwell are high in relation to average earnings. Two thirds of villages are small (less than 500) Last decade showed trebling in value of Cherwell’s cheapest housing Only 9% of houses fall into Council Tax Band A (compared to 25% nationally)

10. Education 54.2% of pupils achieving GCSE A*-C + (including english and maths). This is 9% lower than national average and lowest (except Oxford) in county. Unauthorised absences are half the national average

11. Crime Vandalism, graffiti and criminal damage are highlighted as some of the main issues the district faces Burglary, robbery, theft from vehicle and sexual offences all fell between 06/07 and 07/08 Fear of crime is the highest in Oxfordshire

12. Health Male and female life expectancy is slightly higher than national average Under 18 conception rate (37.8 per 1000) is 8% lower than national average Long term limiting illness rate (121.2 per 1000) is 22% lower than national average 11 infant deaths per 1,000 live births – rate is higher than national average.

13. Environment 590 sqkm of land 700 farms Major designations are Green Belt (14%) and AONB (8% estimated) 32 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Lowest % woodland in Oxfordshire Daily domestic water use is 10% higher than national average 45% of household waste is recycled – highest in Oxfordshire

14. Key Cherwell issues Inter-relationship between settlements Educational attainment Traffic, transport and travel-to-work Fear of crime Accommodating growth – 13,400 new homes

15. Keeping it real ‘Lies, damn lies and statistics’ Its local people who know what the real issues are Talking with residents must be given at least equal weight as evidence base in final conclusions

16. Key Rural issues – Commission for Rural Communities 2008 Promote and support the economic potential Affordable housing Decline in rural services but … some great opportunities Rural transport Cohesive, empowered and active communities Climate change & carbon challenge

18. What are the key issues for rural Cherwell in the long term? 15 - 25 years 30 minutes

19. Select your top three priorities 15 minutes

20. With each of your top three identify: What do you want to protect? What do you want to change? 20 minutes