LAND ADJACENT to The Orchard, Braze Lane, Benson, OX10 6JB

erection of 40 no. age-restricted dwellings (Use Class C3) including 40% affordable housing and communal facilities, together with a new access off Braze Lane and pedestrian footway, including parking, landscaping and all enabling and ancillary works

Authority: South Oxfordshire District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Wilkinson S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Housing land supply with particular regard to specialist older persons housing
The location of the site with reference to national and local policies
The effect of the scheme on the landscape character and appearance of the area
The design of the scheme with regard to the provision of open space
Whether or not the suggested tenure mix would adequately address the district's housing needs

What decided it

The site's poor accessibility to shops, services and public transport for its elderly occupants, combined with landscape and visual harm to the settlement's green wedge, was found to outweigh the benefits of the housing and specialist older persons accommodation proposed.

the significant social and moderate economic benefits of the age-restricted housing were outweighed by the substantial harm arising from the site's poor location for elderly occupants and the landscape/visual harm to the green wedge, such that adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits

Framework references: 11, 14, 58, 61, 63, 85, 110, 117, 187, 232

Plan policies cited: STRAT1, STRAT2, STRAT11, STRAT12, STRAT13, H1, H9, H11, H13, TRANS2, TRANS4, TRANS5, NP1, NP10, NP23, NP25, NP27, NP28, NP29, NP30, ENV1, ENV3, DES1, DES2, DES5, EP3, EP4, INF1

Judgments cited: Hallam Land Management Ltd vs Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government& Anor {2018} EWCA Civ. 1808 {46&51}

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.