®Planning appeal decision
Goulds Grove, Old London Road, Ewelme, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 6PX
the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 5 residential dwellings and the conversion of an existing building to provide 4 B1(a) office units, together with parking and landscaping
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Sargent J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the principle of development and whether it would conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- whether it would result in an unacceptable increased reliance on private motorised transport
- whether the proposal would fail to preserve the listed building or its setting or any special architectural or historic interest it possesses, and cause harm to the significance of this designated heritage asset
- its effect on highway safety
What decided it
The environmental enhancement achieved by removing bulky, poor-quality industrial buildings and replacing them with sympathetic residential development that would conserve and enhance the AONB landscape, combined with the absence of material harm to heritage assets, transport sustainability, or highway safety.
The benefits of environmental enhancement and the removal of visually intrusive industrial buildings outweighed the scheme's location in the countryside and resulting car dependency, which was comparable to existing permitted uses.
Framework references: 177
Plan policies cited: Policy NP1 (Benson Parish Neighbourhood Plan), Policy STRAT1 (South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035), Policy H1 (South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035), Policy TRANS5 (South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035)
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.