®Planning appeal decision
St Andrew's Court, Wellington Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3WT
Planning appeal 3358187 at St Andrew's Court, Wellington Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3WT (South Oxfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 18 July 2025 by Inspector Robinson N, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area including the setting of the Thame Conservation Area and the setting and significance of nearby listed building 26 Upper High Street.
two proposed 3-bedroom new-build dwellings and associated car parking and amenity
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Robinson N
- Postcode
- OX9 3WT
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area including the setting of the Thame Conservation Area and the setting and significance of nearby listed building 26 Upper High Street
- whether the land is contaminated and, if so its effect on the site users
What decided it
The less than substantial but considerable harm to the setting of the Thame Conservation Area and the listed building 26 Upper High Street, which under Footnote 7 of the Framework provides a strong reason for refusing the development and displaces the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
the benefits of housing delivery and brownfield redevelopment were outweighed by the great weight to be attached to the harm caused to designated heritage assets, with heritage assets being an irreplaceable resource requiring conservation
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy ENV6Policy ENV7Policy ENV8Policy DES1Policy DES2Policy ENV11Policy ESDQ16Policy ESDQ20Policy CPQ1Policy CPQ3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 125
- Judgments
- Barnwell vs East Northamptonshire DC 2014
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
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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
- Dismissed29 October 20266013107Charleston, Bolney Road, Lower Shiplake, RG9 3NS
- Dismissed29 October 202660055614 Spring Path, Thame, OX9 2EF
- Allowed26 October 20266011152Luffield House, 85A Wallingford Road, Goring, RG8 0HL
- Dismissed7 October 20266007830Land off Wyfold Lane, Peppard Common, RG9 5LR
- Allowed7 October 20266005521Land Rear of The Paddocks, Lower Icknield Way, Chinnor, OX39 4GR
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.