37 Mill Lane, Benson, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 6SA

Planning appeal 6000506 at 37 Mill Lane, Benson, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 6SA (South Oxfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 8 January 2026 by Inspector Worley E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposed development on highway and pedestrian safety.

Proposed new dwelling and access. Self build

Authority: South Oxfordshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Worley E
Postcode: OX10 6SA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposed development on highway and pedestrian safety
whether the proposal would make appropriate provision for biodiversity net gain

What decided it

The failure to secure the self-build exemption from biodiversity net gain through a binding legal mechanism, combined with no evidence that the 10% net gain requirement could be met by other means, resulted in a conflict with Policy ENV3 and Schedule 7A that substantially and demonstrably outweighed the modest housing benefits.

the benefits of housing delivery and the Government's objective of boosting housing supply were substantially and demonstrably outweighed by the conflict with biodiversity net gain requirements and the failure to comply with Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy TRANS5Policy ENV3
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11Paragraph 117Paragraph 187

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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More decisions in South Oxfordshire

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.