Former Bell Inn, Church View, Manor Road, Great Bourton, OX17 1QP

Planning appeal 3372504 at Former Bell Inn, Church View, Manor Road, Great Bourton, OX17 1QP (Cherwell District Council) was dismissed on 9 March 2026 by Inspector Conde L, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether it has been demonstrated that the public house is no longer financially viable in the long term.

change of use of The Bell Inn Public House (Sui Generis Use) to use as a dwellinghouse (Class C3 Use) and associated minor external alterations to the building and works

Authority: Cherwell District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: Conde L
Postcode: OX17 1QP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether it has been demonstrated that the public house is no longer financially viable in the long term

What decided it

It had not been demonstrated that the public house was no longer viable in the long term, including as a potential community-owned enterprise, so its loss could not be justified under Saved Policy S29.

The significant weight given to conflict with the development plan and the loss of a valued village service significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits of housing delivery and socio-economic benefits, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Saved Policy S29 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11

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.

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The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

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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.