®Planning appeal decision
14 The Hub, Station Road, Henley on Thames, RG9 1AY
Planning appeal 3367360 at 14 The Hub, Station Road, Henley on Thames, RG9 1AY (South Oxfordshire District Council) was allowed on 20 October 2025 by Inspector Worley E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the scheme would comply with part 2 of Policy EMP3 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan.
the change of use from offices (Use Class E) to 25 flats (22 x 2 bedroom and 3 x 1 bedroom) (Use Class C3), construction of associated roof extension at third floor level, internal alterations, private amenity space, car and cycle parking, and refuse storage
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Worley E
- Postcode
- RG9 1AY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the scheme would comply with part 2 of Policy EMP3 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan
- the effect of the development on the living conditions of the occupiers of the neighbouring properties, with particular regard to overlooking
What decided it
The fallback position of extant prior approvals for residential conversion producing similar overlooking effects, combined with the Council's inability to demonstrate five-year housing land supply and the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meant the housing benefits outweighed the identified harm.
The harm to living conditions through increased overlooking was outweighed by the benefits of housing supply and reuse of an underutilised building in a sustainable location, having regard to the fallback position and the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d).
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EMP3Policy DES1Policy INF1Policy TRANS2Policy TRANS5Policy EP3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 57
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 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.