®Planning appeal decision
Former Chalk Pit, Land Adjacent Lys Mill, Cobditch Hill, Nr Watlington, Oxfordshire, OX49 5EP
Planning appeal 3301579 at Former Chalk Pit, Land Adjacent Lys Mill, Cobditch Hill, Nr Watlington, Oxfordshire, OX49 5EP (South Oxfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 28 June 2023 by Inspector Davies H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for new housing, having regard to the spatial strategy of the local plan.
erection of a dwelling and re-wilding of surrounding 14 hectares of arable farmland. This
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Davies H
- Postcode
- OX49 5EP
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for new housing, having regard to the spatial strategy of the local plan
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and the surrounding area, with particular regard to the extent to which it would conserve or enhance the natural beauty of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- Whether the proposal would achieve acceptable levels of carbon emissions
What decided it
The significant harm to the character and appearance of the Chilterns AONB caused by the prominent hilltop dwelling in an open, unspoiled landscape, combined with the site's unsuitability for housing under the spatial strategy, outweighed the rewilding benefits and other material considerations.
The rewilding benefits and the appellant's vision for the site were outweighed by the significant harm to the AONB and the conflict with development plan policy requiring housing to be located in sustainable settlements
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy STRAT1Policy TRAN2Policy TRAN5Policy H1Policy DES1Policy DES2Policy ENV1Policy ENV12Policy DES10
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 176Paragraph 80Paragraph 11
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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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.