®Planning appeal decision
Drovers Barn, Church End, Swerford, Oxfordshire , OX7 4BA
the conversion of builder’s yard storage building to dwellinghouse and associated alterations and operations
- Authority
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Rawle S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether or not the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development having regard to the development plan and national policies relating to development within a small village
- whether or not the proposed development would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Swerford Conservation Area, conserve the landscape and scenic beauty of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and would preserve the setting of listed and locally listed buildings
- the effect of the proposed development on ecology with particular regard to great crested newts
What decided it
The proposal conflicts with development plan policies requiring residential development in small villages to be limited to specific types of re-use, and the building remains in active commercial use; additionally, the adverse ecological impacts regarding great crested newts have not been satisfactorily demonstrated to be absent.
The modest benefits of providing one dwelling in a context of housing shortfall, preserving the conservation area, and removing unsightly commercial materials were outweighed by the moderate harm of locating residential development in an unsustainable location contrary to the development plan and the significant harm of unresolved ecology concerns regarding great crested newts, such that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits.
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy OS2, Policy H2, Policy E1, Policy E3, Policy T1, Policy T3, Policy CN2, Policy EH9, Policy EH10, Policy EH13, Policy EH16, Policy EH3
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.