®Planning appeal decision
Westwood Medical Centre, Winterbottom Street, Oldham, OL9 6TS
Planning appeal 3322110 at Westwood Medical Centre, Winterbottom Street, Oldham, OL9 6TS (Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council) was dismissed on 10 April 2024 by Inspector Wraight G, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposed development on trees.
Outline application for 16 storey apartment building for 120 flats with associated on-site parking and private gated site access, following demolition of existing building. Approval of Access, Layout, and Scale are sought. All other matters reserved
- Authority
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Wraight G
- Postcode
- OL9 6TS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposed development on trees
- the effect of the proposed development on highway safety
- whether the proposed development would provide for open space and affordable housing
What decided it
The absence of a planning obligation to secure affordable housing and open space contributions, combined with the inability to demonstrate that the mature trees could be retained without harm to living conditions, meant the proposal failed to accord with the development plan and the adverse impacts outweighed the benefits even under the tilted balance.
The significant benefits of delivering 120 new homes on a previously developed site with good transport links and proximity to services were outweighed by the failure to secure affordable housing and open space contributions and the unresolved risk of harm to retained trees and living conditions, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 21 of the Oldham Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document 2011Saved Policy D1.5 of the Unitary Development Plan 2006Policy 5 of the DPDPolicy 9 of the DPDPolicy 23 of the DPDPolicy 10 of the DPD
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
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.