®Planning appeal decision
Field House, South Leigh, Witney, OX29 6XG
Planning appeal 3338014 at Field House, South Leigh, Witney, OX29 6XG (West Oxfordshire District Council) was allowed on 7 July 2026 by Inspector Boffin D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Appeal A: whether the Council's decision to refuse to grant a certificate of lawful use or development is well-founded.
change of use of agricultural land to domestic curtilage, erection of a 4 bay oak-framed garage, creation of gravel driveway, turning and parking area and ecological and landscaping enhancement measures. Summary
- Authority
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- other · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Boffin D
- Postcode
- OX29 6XG
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Appeal A: whether the Council's decision to refuse to grant a certificate of lawful use or development is well-founded
- Appeal B: the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
- Appeal B: the effect of the development on the contribution that setting makes to the significance/special interest of the Manor House, a grade II listed building
- Appeal B: the effect of the development on biodiversity
What decided it
Appeal A: the appellant's genuine and reasonable need to garage eight high-value classic cars used for domestic purposes satisfied the test for permitted development under Class E of the GPDO. Appeal B: the unacceptable harm to landscape character and visual amenity from the introduction of built form and suburbanisation in the countryside outweighed any limited economic or environmental benefits.
Appeal B: the limited economic benefits from the use of the garage for classic cars and the biodiversity and ecological enhancements were insufficient to outweigh the moderate harm to landscape character and moderate to minor residual visual impact on the appearance of the surrounding area.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 Policy OS2West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 Policy OS4West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 Policy EH2West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 Policy EH11West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 Policy EH3South Leigh Parish Neighbourhood Plan Policy SLE1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 56Paragraph 135
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
More decisions in West Oxfordshire
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Dismissed29 October 202660149902 Viner Close, Witney, OX28 1EP
- Allowed13 October 20266004776Land South of Ramsden, Akeman Street, Ramsden, OX7 3AY
- Notice varied and upheld18 September 20263358009Chalford Paddocks, Oxford Road, Old Chalford Chipping Norton, OX7 5QR
- Allowed9 September 20266007705Forge Garage, Church Road, Churchill, OX7 6NJ
- Dismissed2 September 2026600910346 Market Square, Witney, OX28 6AL
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.