Planning appeal decision
Land West of Hailey Road, Witney , Witney , OX28 1HL
Planning appeal 3328652 at Land West of Hailey Road, Witney , Witney , OX28 1HL (West Oxfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 30 July 2024 by Inspector Dowsett J, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.
the construction of 106 residential dwellings including access off Hailey Road; areas of open space; landscaping; and associated works
- Authority
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Dowsett J
- Postcode
- OX28 1HL
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the residual cumulative impacts of the development on the highway would be severe
- Whether the proposed development would make appropriate provision for the delivery of infrastructure required in connection with the development of the NWSDA
- The effect of the proposed development on air quality
- Whether the proposed development would contribute to achieving a comprehensive development of the North Witney Strategic Development Area having regard to the provisions of the development plan
What decided it
The proposal's failure to secure funding for the West End Link and wider NWSDA infrastructure, combined with severe highway impacts and harm to character and appearance, meant the housing land supply shortfall did not outweigh these harms under the tilted balance.
The benefits of housing and affordable housing delivery were outweighed by the harm to character and appearance, severe cumulative highway impacts, and the failure to secure infrastructure for comprehensive development of the NWSDA, such that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits under paragraph 11(d).
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy WIT2Policy T2Policy WIT6Policy OS2Policy EH2Policy OS4Policy H3Policy EH3Policy EW2Policy EW4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 57
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
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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.
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