Chimney Farm Barns , Chimney , Bampton , Oxfordshire, OX18 2EH

the change of use of land from ancillary space for holiday cottages to residential gardens

Authority: West Oxfordshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: Blackwell J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The domestication of approximately 1,680m² of undeveloped countryside through the introduction of residential gardens would fundamentally alter the rural quality and erode the intrinsic agricultural character of the site, conflicting with development plan policies and the Framework's emphasis on countryside protection.

The potential economic benefits and improved marketability of the barns were outweighed by the harm to the character and appearance of the area and conflict with the development plan.

Plan policies cited: Policy OS2, Policy EH2

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
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