®Planning appeal decision
St Andrew's Field, Holton, Oxfordshire, OX33 1PZ
Planning appeal 3348330 at St Andrew's Field, Holton, Oxfordshire, OX33 1PZ (South Oxfordshire District Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 27 March 2025 by Inspector Savage M, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal scheme is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024)(the Framework) and relevant development plan policies.
without planning permission the material change of use of the Land from agriculture to a mixed use of agriculture, storage and leisure plot
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- agricultural · Change of use
- Inspector
- Savage M
- Postcode
- OX33 1PZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal scheme is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024)(the Framework) and relevant development plan policies
- The effect of the appeal scheme on the openness of the Green Belt
- The effect of the appeal scheme on the character and appearance of the area
- The effect of the appeal scheme on protected species, in particular Great Crested Newts
- If it is inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the appeal scheme
What decided it
The appellants failed to demonstrate very special circumstances clearly outweighing the harm from inappropriate development in the Green Belt, harm to character and appearance, and harm to protected species.
the harm by reason of inappropriateness in the Green Belt, together with harm to character and appearance and to protected species, was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations advanced, so very special circumstances did not exist and the appeal under ground (a) was dismissed
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- STRAT1STRAT6DES1DES2ENV1ENV2ENV3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 143
- Judgments
- Warwick DC c SSLUHC, Mr J Storer & Mrs A Lowe [2022] EWHC 2145 (Admin)
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 South Oxfordshire
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Planning permission granted18 September 20263374155Land at Town Farm Cottage, Brook Street, Kingston Blount, OX39 4RZ
- Notice upheld11 August 20263358283Land at Toll Lodge Farm, London Road, Tetsworth, Oxon, OX9 7AZ
- Allowed10 August 20266010291No. 81, Abingdon Road, Dorchester on Thames, OX10 7LB
- Notice upheld7 August 202633460785 Bank Cottages, Main Street, Forest Hill, OX33 1EA
- Planning permission granted23 July 2026328514684 Gidley Way, Horspath, Oxford, OX33 1TG
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.