COUNTY PLANNING COMMITTEE/COUNTY PLANNING AND COUNTRYSIDE COMMITTEE

Statutory committee appointed under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. VI c. 51) whereby county and county borough councils were designated chief local planning authorities and required to create a development plan covering their area of jurisdiction. In addition their responsibilities included granting planning permission, enforcing planning controls, granting tree preservation orders, making orders for the preservation of buildings of special architectural and historical interest, and control of advertisement displays. Some of these duties were delegated to Area Planning Sub-Committees which included representatives of district and borough councils. In the 1960s-1970s a number of joint committees were established with district authorities to investigate development plans and review town maps in specific areas. As a result of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources' White Paper LEISURE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE the Committee was re-constituted in May 1966 as the County Planning and Countryside Committee. Section 1 of the Civic Amenities Act 1967 (c. 69) required local planning authorities to designate areas of special architectural or historical interest as Conservation Areas which were then subject to more stringent planning controls. A number of areas in Oxfordshire were so designated and Joint Conservation Area Sub-Committees were set up representing the County Council, district authorities and local organisations. Under the Local Government Act, 1972 responsibility for planning was divided between the new county and district authorities, the counties exercising a strategic control whilst the districts acquired responsibility for local planning decisions including applications for planning permission.