8 Heathfield Cottages , Bletchingdon, KIDLINGTON, Heathfield, OX5 3DU

proposed conversion of existing building to form 1 no. dwellinghouse. Removal of existing outbuildings

Authority: Cherwell District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Wilson D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development.

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply (only 2.3 years) engaged the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d), and the contribution to housing supply in a situation of substantial undersupply outweighed the location's sustainability concerns.

The adverse impacts of the isolated location contrary to Policies H19 and ESD1 did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of contributing to housing supply where there is a substantial undersupply (2.3 years), and the balance tipped in favour of the proposal.

Framework references: 11, 72, 115

Plan policies cited: Policy H19 of the Cherwell Local Plan November 1996, Policy ESD1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 Adopted 20 July 2015

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

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