®Planning appeal decision
Emmanuel Ranch, Windmill Lane, Towersey, Oxfordshire, OX9 3QQ
Change of use of land to use as a residential caravan site for 3 gypsy families, including the stationing of 6 caravans of which no more than 3 are to be static caravans/mobile homes, together with the laying of hardsta nding
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- caravan-gypsy · Minor traveller and caravan pitches
- Inspector
- Madge M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The suitability of the location to accommodate the development
- The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside
- The effect of the development on biodiversity, with regards to the loss of habitat and impact on protected species
- The effect of the development on residents' living conditions with regards to amenity space provision, contamination, drainage and flooding
- Whether any other considerations would outweigh any identified harm and/or policy conflict
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a deliverable 5-year supply of traveller pitches and the lack of any alternative sites for the appellant's family clearly outweighed the identified limited/moderate harms.
Significant weight attached to the lack of a 5-year supply of traveller pitches, absence of alternative sites and the children's best interests clearly outweighed the limited harm to character and appearance, moderate harm to biodiversity, and negligible weight against intentional unauthorised development.
Framework references: 110, 115
Plan policies cited: Policy H14, Policy STRAT1, Policy TOW1, Policy DES1, Policy DES6, Policy DES7, Policy DES8, Policy DES2, Policy ENV1, Policy TOW4, Policy ENV2, Policy ENV3, Policy TOW7, Policy DES5, Policy ENV11, Policy ENV12, Policy TRANS5, Policy EP4, Policy FW1, Policy FW2, Policy INF4
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.