Land between A34 Milton Interchange, and B4015 north of Clifton Hampden, Oxfordshire

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The need for and highway benefits of the Scheme
• Whether the transport modelling on which the proposal is based is robust and takes account of any significant traffic impacts in the wider area
• Whether the proposal would make acceptable provision for sustainable travel, including walking and cycling, and accord with the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan
• Consideration of alternatives
• Adequacy of the Environmental Statement
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding landscape, including any loss of trees and/or hedges

What decided it

The substantial and significant benefits of the Scheme, including facilitating housing and economic growth and improving highway network performance and resilience, were found to clearly outweigh the Green Belt harm and other identified harms, establishing Very Special Circumstances.

The substantial weight given to highway network benefits and significant weight to housing, economic and sustainable transport benefits were found to clearly outweigh the substantial Green Belt harm, significant landscape and visual harm, and great weight heritage harm, such that Very Special Circumstances existed and the paragraph 208 heritage balance and overall planning balance favoured the Scheme.