®Planning appeal decision
Building to south east of Mill House, Eynsham Road, Cassington, OX29 4DB
described on the application form as, “Adaptation and change of use of building to form dwelling and related works
- Authority
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- O'Doherty A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development, having particular regard to the spatial strategy in the development plan and the accessibility of services and facilities
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The proposed development conflicts with three key policies for directing development to sustainable locations (Policies H2, OS2 and EW10) and would cause significant harm to character and appearance, and these substantial harms are not outweighed by the minimal benefits of a single self-build dwelling in a location with poor accessibility to services and facilities by sustainable transport.
The limited collective benefits of providing one self-build dwelling and a modest contribution to housing land supply (4.3 years available) were given little weight and were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the substantial harms to the development plan's spatial strategy, the poor accessibility to services and facilities by sustainable modes of transport, and the unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the tranquil riverside area.
Framework references: 11, 12, 34, 58, 61, 73, 84, 109, 110, 115, 124, 125, 135, 155, 232
Plan policies cited: Policy H2, Policy OS2, Policy EW10, Policy H5, Policy E3, Policy BC1, Policy CAS9
Judgments cited: Corbett v Cornwall Council [2019] EWHC 1022 (Admin); [2020] EWCA Civ 508
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.