Land at Bishopswood Camp, Gallowstree Road, Sonning Common, RG4 9BT

2 Gypsy pitches with dayrooms associated parking, access and services

Authority: South Oxfordshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: caravan-gypsy · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Edwards J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the development would conserve or enhance the landscape character and scenic beauty of the Chilterns National Landscape Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
the effect on biodiversity
the effect on dormice
whether the development would be located in a suitable location having regard to accessibility to services and relationship to existing settlements
the effect on trees

What decided it

The significant and unmitigated harm to the landscape character and scenic beauty of the AONB, combined with unresolved concerns over biodiversity loss and dormice protection, outweighed the benefits of providing additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches.

Framework references: 84, 99

Plan policies cited: ENV1, H14, RENV2, ENV3, ENV2, TRANS2, RENV3

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.

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.