®Planning appeal decision
Land to the rear of 110 Witney Road, Ducklington , Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 7TN
the erection of two 4-bedroom detached houses and access
- Authority
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Davies B
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal complies with planning policy that seeks to steer new development away from areas at the highest risk of flooding
What decided it
The Environment Agency's recent update to the Flood Map for Planning indicating the site is in Flood Zones 2 and 3 (not Flood Zone 1 as recorded in the SFRA) is a material consideration of substantial weight that requires a sequential test to be undertaken, which has not been done.
The minor benefit from contribution to local housing stock and economy is of limited weight given the small scale of the proposal and does not outweigh the harm that could arise from the lack of a sequential test; the tilted balance does not apply because the area is at risk of flooding, which provides a clear reason for refusing the development.
Framework references: 11, 165, 168, 173
Plan policies cited: Policy EH7, Policy EN7
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.