422 Cowley Road, OXFORD, OX4 2BX

a change of use from dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4). (Retrospective)

Authority: Oxford City 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 proposal on the mix and balance of households in the local community
whether the proposal would meet policy objectives with regard to car free development
whether the proposal makes adequate provision for bicycle and bin storage

What decided it

The development would breach Policy H6 by adding to an over-concentration of HMOs that already exceeds the 20% threshold, risking imbalance to the mix and balance of households in the local area.

Plan policies cited: Policy H6, Policy M3, Policy M5, Policy DH7

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

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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.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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