®Planning appeal decision
14 The Hub, Station Road, Henley on Thames, RG9 1AY
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
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).
Framework references: 11, 57
Plan policies cited: Policy EMP3, Policy DES1, Policy INF1, Policy TRANS2, Policy TRANS5, Policy EP3
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.