LOX Summary Report: Regional Planning

To serve as a hub airport for Great Britain, rather than merely the South East region, the new airport is sited outside of the transportation 'shadow' cast by Greater London, with good motorway and rail links to central London, the Midlands, Northern England and the South West.

The airport's proximity to the 'Area of Managed Economic Growth' to the west of London offer the potential to augment the economic potential of this sub-region and thereby assist in the maintenance of the Capital's status as a global centre. The location of the airport to the west of the Area would provide a strategic counterpoise to the 'tidal' effects of west London.

Regional Planning Guidance

The development of the airport would impact upon the sub-regional planning of the Oxford/Reading/Swindon sub-region and inform a major review of the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9).

Employment

Table 3 shows the forecast employment generated by the airport. The airport's core catchment area would include Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Oxford, Reading, Swindon, Thame, Wallingford, Wantage/Grove and Witney. [See Appendix Figures A.10-A.11]

Table 4: Forecast employment ('000)

	2015	2020	2030	2040
	2 runways	2 runways	4 runways	4 runways
Direct on-site	18	25	49	60
Direct off-site	4	5	10	12
Direct off-site	6	9	18	22
TOTAL	27	39	77	94

Land use and urbanisation

The levels of urbanisation which would be generated by the airport are in excess of the provision of the Regional Planning Guidance.

Except for the construction of the proposed A38 – M40 link road, the Oxford Green Belt would not be directly affected by the airport. The development of large airports frequently engenders associated development in close proximity to them – often resulting in the environmental impacts of the airport falling on the new developments. In order to prevent this effect, a proposed extension of the Oxford Green Belt towards the northern boundary of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is advanced [see Figure 12 and Appendix figure A.12.]

Table 5: Forecast new dwellings ('000)

2015	2020	2030	2040
2 runways	2 runways	4 runways	4 runways
15	21	41	51

The main areas envisaged for urbanisation are settlement expansions to Swindon, Grove and Didcot together with a mixed use development zone at the airport [see figure 12]. Should the relocation of RAF Brize Norton procede then the site of the former air base may then be available as a 'brownfield' development site.