®Planning appeal decision
Land West of Little Smiths Farm, Drayton, OX14 4JP
Planning appeal 6005108 at Land West of Little Smiths Farm, Drayton, OX14 4JP (Vale of White Horse) was allowed on 11 September 2026 by Inspector Stephen Wilkinson, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether or not the Council has a policy compliant housing land supply.
Erection of up to 31 dwellings with associated means of access, car parking, public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage system (SuDS) and associated infrastructure (all matters reserved except for access)
- Authority
- Vale of White Horse
- Appeal type
- major · Planning
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential
- Inspector
- Stephen Wilkinson
- Postcode
- OX14 4JP
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether or not the Council has a policy compliant housing land supply
- The location of the appeal scheme having regard to the settlement boundary and any conflict with the spatial strategy of the Development Plan
- Whether there is sufficient infrastructure to support the appeal proposal
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply engaged the Framework's presumption in favour of sustainable development, which was not outweighed by the limited heritage, landscape and agricultural land harms identified.
The substantial benefits of market and affordable housing delivery, together with moderate economic and transport benefits, outweighed the limited heritage harm, loss of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land and conflict with the settlement strategy, so the presumption in favour of sustainable development tipped the balance in favour of granting permission.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy LP1 CP3Policy LP1 CP4Policy LP1 CP8Policy LP2 CP4aPolicy LP2 CP8aPolicy LP1 CP39Policy LP2 DP36Policy LP2 DP37Policy LP2 DP38Policy LP1 CP43Policy LP1 CP44Policy LP1 DP24Policy LP1CP24Policy LP2DP33Policy LP1CP7Policy LP2 DP20Policy DP27 of the adopted Local Plan 2031 Part 2Policy P-LF2 (Drayton Neighbourhood Plan)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Policy S3Policy S5Policy HE6Policy DP3Policy TR3Policy TR6Policy N2Policy DP4
- Judgments
- Dorchester Living v SSLUHC [2024] EWHC 2332 (Admin)
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.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Vale of White Horse
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Allowed14 September 20266005809Land to the North of Spring Hill, Kingston Bagpuize With Southmoor, OX13 5HL
- Dismissed10 July 20266008237Land at Downs Close, Downs Close, Harwell, OX11 0LP
- Allowed10 July 20266004908Land off Paddocks Lane - The Paddocks (Adjoining Godfrey Close), East Hanney, Wantage, OX12 0LX
- Dismissed7 May 2026334886229 Colley Wood, Kennington, Oxford, OX1 5NF
- Notice upheld20 February 20263355881Land at East Cottage , Stanford Road, Buckland, Oxfordshire, SN7 8QL
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.