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Planning appeal decision

Notice varied and upheld18 January 20243320180

Caversham Lake Watersports, Henley Road, Caversham, RG4 9RA

Planning appeal 3320180 at Caversham Lake Watersports, Henley Road, Caversham, RG4 9RA (South Oxfordshire District Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 18 January 2024 by Inspector Walker A, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area and biodiversity (Appeal A and Appeal B).

Material change of use of the land from gravel extraction to water-based sport and recreational use with ancillary activities (Appeal A), and associated building, engineering and other operations including artificial beaches, hardstanding, buildings, a bridge and fencing (Appeal B)

Authority
South Oxfordshire District Council
Appeal type
enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure
Hearing
Development
leisure-sport · Change of use
Inspector
Walker A
Postcode
RG4 9RA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area and biodiversity (Appeal A and Appeal B)
  • The effect of the development on highway safety (Appeal A only)

What decided it

The unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the area, combined with unresolved biodiversity harm and (for Appeal A) an unacceptable risk to highway safety, outweighed the benefits of the use and was not overcome by any of the grounds of appeal.

The wellbeing and economic benefits of the development did not outweigh, individually or cumulatively, the harm identified to character and appearance, biodiversity and (for Appeal A) highway safety, so the balance tipped against granting planning permission

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy DES1Policy DES2Policy ENV1Policy ENV2Policy ENV3Policy Trans4Policy Trans5
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 180

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in South Oxfordshire

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024

  1. Planning permission granted18 September 20263374155
    Land at Town Farm Cottage, Brook Street, Kingston Blount, OX39 4RZ
  2. Notice upheld11 August 20263358283
    Land at Toll Lodge Farm, London Road, Tetsworth, Oxon, OX9 7AZ
  3. Notice upheld7 August 20263346078
    5 Bank Cottages, Main Street, Forest Hill, OX33 1EA
  4. Planning permission granted23 July 20263285146
    84 Gidley Way, Horspath, Oxford, OX33 1TG
  5. Notice upheld23 July 20263285145
    84 Gidley Way, Horspath, Oxford, OX33 1TG

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.