®Planning appeal decision
Beecher Acoustics Ltd, 1 Quarry High Street, Headington, OXFORD, OX3 8JT
• Without planning permission, erection of 6 x 1 bedroom dwellings in a 3-storey terrace (“the Mews Building”), alterations to the existing access and formation of 9 car parking spaces on the Land
- Authority
- Oxford City Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Perkins L
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the matters stated in the notice (if they occurred) constitute a breach of planning control, ie the ground (c) appeal
- If ground (c) is not successful, whether planning permission ought to be granted for the breach of planning control alleged, ie the ground (a) appeal
- If ground (a) is not successful, whether the steps required by the notice exceed what is necessary to remedy any breach of planning control or injury to amenity, ie the ground (f) appeal
- Whether the periods for compliance fall short of what should reasonably be allowed, ie the ground (g) appeal
What decided it
The less than substantial heritage harm to the character and significance of the Headington Quarry Conservation Area was not outweighed by the public benefits put forward.
The considerable weight given to the harm to the conservation area's character and significance outweighed the limited weight attributed to the public benefits (modest housing provision, environmental benefits of retaining the building, and support for a local business), so permission was refused.
Framework references: 212, 215
Plan policies cited: Policy DH1, Policy DH2, Policy DH3, Policy H16
Judgments cited: Choiceplace Properties Ltd v SSHCLG & LB Barnett [2021] EWHC 1070 (Admin); Barnett v SSCLG [2009] EWCA Civ 476
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.