Planning appeal decision
161-167 Oxford Street, Soho, London, W1D 2JP
Planning appeal 3269792 at 161-167 Oxford Street, Soho, London, W1D 2JP (City of Westminster Council) was dismissed on 9 August 2021 by Inspector Small M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the host building and area, with particular regard to nearby listed buildings, the nearby Soho and East Marylebone Conservation Areas and the Protected Vista 4A.2.
installation of 6No. antenna apertures mounted across 3No. steel support structures (approx. 27.5m AGL to top), 4No. 600mm diameter dishes mounted across 4No. support poles, and 8No. equipment cabinets all at roof-level, 1No. meter cabinet at ground-level, ancillary works thereto
- Authority
- City of Westminster Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- telecoms · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Small M
- Postcode
- W1D 2JP
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the host building and area, with particular regard to nearby listed buildings, the nearby Soho and East Marylebone Conservation Areas and the Protected Vista 4A.2
- the effect of the proposal on the safe and convenient use of the highway
- whether any harm caused would be outweighed by any benefits of the proposal, including the need to site the installation in the location proposed having regard to the potential availability of alternative sites
What decided it
The less than substantial harm to the significance of the Grade II listed building The Pantheon was not outweighed by the social and economic benefits of the proposal, as the Inspector was not satisfied that alternative sites had been adequately ruled out.
The less than substantial harm to the significance of the Grade II listed building The Pantheon was weighed against the demonstrable social and economic benefits of the proposal including 5G rollout and the Emergency Services Network, but the harm was not outweighed by these benefits.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 19 (A)Policy 38 (A) and (B)Policy 39 (A), (B), (I) and (K)Policy 40 (A), (E) and (F)Policy 43 (A)Policy D2 of The London Plan 2021Policy SI 6 of the London Plan 2021Policy HC4 of The London Plan 2021
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 202
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
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