®Planning appeal decision
Heathfield, Reading Road, Lower Shiplake, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 3JN
Planning appeal 3350999 at Heathfield, Reading Road, Lower Shiplake, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 3JN (South Oxfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 3 June 2025 by Inspector Rogers J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is suitable for the proposal, with particular regard to the local development strategy on the location of housing.
the erection of 2no. dwellings including provision of new access
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Rogers J
- Postcode
- RG9 3JN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is suitable for the proposal, with particular regard to the local development strategy on the location of housing
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposal on biodiversity
What decided it
The proposal conflicts with the development plan as a whole, particularly the neighbourhood plan's location strategy and character and biodiversity policies, and the significant weight given to these conflicts is not outweighed by the modest housing benefits in circumstances where the neighbourhood plan was made within five years of the decision.
The modest benefits from housing delivery and self-build provision, and modest weight given to the conflict with the neighbourhood plan policy on location, were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the significant weight attached to the proposal's conflict with the development plan as a whole, particularly the harm to character and appearance and biodiversity, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SV1Policy SV2Policy STRAT1Policy H1Policy H8Policy H16Policy DES1Policy DES2Policy ENV1Policy ENV3Policy SV7Policy SV13Policy SV15Policy SV24
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 14
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
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Allowed9 September 20266011224The Elms, Woodperry Road, Beckley, OX3 9UZ
- Allowed27 July 20266006478Hillfoot Cottage, Chinnor Hill, Chinnor, OX39 4BA
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.