®Planning appeal decision
White Cross Farm, Reading Road, Cholsey, OX10 9HG
The extraction and processing of sand and gravel including the construction of new site access roads, landscaping and screening bunds, minerals washing plant and other associated infrastructure, with restoration to agriculture and nature conservation areas using inert fill
- Authority
- Oxfordshire County Council
- Appeal type
- other · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- minerals-waste · Mineral working
- Inspector
- Dowsett J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The main issue in this appeal is the effect of the proposed development on the landscape and visual appearance of the River Thames, the effect on the Thames Path National Trail, and on the setting of the Chilterns National Landscape.
What decided it
The temporary, reversible nature of the landscape, visual and heritage-setting harms, set against the pressing need to maintain the sand and gravel landbank and the wider benefits of the scheme, tipped the balance in favour of the appeal.
The great weight attributable to the benefits of mineral extraction, together with moderate weight for waste re-use, employment, improved Thames Path access and biodiversity gains, outweighed the less than substantial harm to the settings of two listed buildings and the temporary, evanescent harm to the landscape/visual appearance of the River Thames, the Thames Path and the setting of the Chilterns National Landscape.
Framework references: 189, 174, 222, 224, 226, 175, 212, 213, 215, 210
Plan policies cited: Policy ENV1, Policy C8, Policy M3, Policy C3, Policy M2, Policy M5
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.