®Planning appeal decision
Land east of Hill Rise, Woodstock, OX20 1YE
hybrid planning application consisting of full planning permission for the erection of 74 dwellings, 60sqm of community space (Class E), a parking barn, means of access from the A44, associated infrastructure, open space, engineering and ancillary works; outline planning permission for up to 106 dwellings, up to 60sqm of community space (Class E), a parking barn, with associated infrastructure, open space, engineering and ancillary works
- Authority
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- other · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Unknown
- Inspector
- Gilbert-Wooldridge T
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposed development on landscape character and the setting of Woodstock
- the effect of the proposed development on the significance and setting of Blenheim Palace World Heritage Site
- whether the proposed development would represent high quality design and provide an integrated, safe and connected community
- the effect of the proposed development on local infrastructure
- the overall planning balance having regard to the development plan and any proposed benefits
What decided it
The substantial weight attached to housing delivery benefits (including affordable housing and self-build provision), against a backdrop of a significant 5-year housing land supply shortfall, outweighed the minor heritage and landscape harms identified.
The substantial benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing and self-build provision, together with moderate/significant weight given to economic, biodiversity, open space and sustainability benefits, outweighed the minor less-than-substantial heritage harm, slight non-designated heritage harm and limited landscape/policy conflict, such that adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits under NPPF paragraph 11(d)(ii).
Framework references: 11, 57, 130, 134, 174, 199, 200, 202, 203
Plan policies cited: Policy EW4, Policy EW9, Policy OS2, Policy OS3, Policy OS4, Policy OS5, Policy EH2, Policy EH3, Policy EH4, Policy EH5, Policy EH9, Policy H1, Policy H2, Policy H3, Policy H5, Policy T1, Policy T2, Policy T3, Policy EW3, Policy EW5
Judgments cited: Tesco Stores Ltd v Dundee City Council [2012] UKSC 13; Gallagher Ltd v Cherwell DC [2016] EWHC 290 (Admin); R (Village Concerns) v Wealden DC [2022] EWHC 2039 (Admin); Shadwell Estates Ltd v Breckland DC [20130 EWHC 12 (Admin)
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.