Planning Application Details

The Development Plan identifies appropriate locations for new development. Planning permission for new houses will not be granted unless the development falls within strictly defined criteria. Planning permission will not be granted for new houses on sites within the smaller villages unless the proposal is for infill development on sites up to 0.2 hectares in size in an otherwise built up frontage or where the site is closely surrounded by buildings. The site is not an allocated site, is too large to be an infill site and is not closely surrounded by buildings. As such, the proposal is unacceptable in principle contrary to policy CSR1 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Core Strategy 2027 and the policies of the National Planning Policy Framework.

The site is part of an important open and undeveloped space within the Brightwell- cum - Sotwell Conservation Area. The erection of a substantial dwelling involving the loss of part of the Orchard and the use of the land as residential curtilage would detract significantly from landscape setting of this part of Brightwell cum Sotwell and from the character of the Conservation Area. As such the proposal would be contrary to Policy CSEN3 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Core Strategy and saved Policies G2, C4, H4 and CON7 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

The proposal involves the subdivision of the curtilage of this grade II listed building. In this case there is a clear relationship between the land and the listed building which would be lost if a new house were constructed on the site and would harm the setting of the listed building. As such the proposal would be contrary to Policy CSEN3 of the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy and saved Policy CON5 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

There is insufficient information to assess the impact of development on important trees, in particular the location of service routes, storage of materials, contractor parking etc and the impact on the no dig driveway. Without such information the proposal would be contrary to saved Policy C9 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan and advice contained in the National Planning Policy Framework.