Land at Springhill Farm, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5HL

for two self-build dwellings and new access

Authority: Vale of White Horse District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Ramsden S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the site is an appropriate location for housing with respect to the Council's spatial policies
the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the proposed development on flood risk

What decided it

The site's location outside the built-up area of the settlement in open countryside, in conflict with the Council's spatial policies CP3 and CP4, combined with the harm to character and appearance of the area, outweighed the benefits of self-build provision.

Framework references: 135, 170, 175

Plan policies cited: Policy CP3, Policy CP4, Policy DP1, Policy CP44, Policy CP37, Policy CP42

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.

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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