Conditions / Refusal Reasons
The Development Plan identifies appropriate locations for new development. New dwellings in the countryside or Green Belt should be avoided unless the development involves limited infilling in villages or, outside villages, where there is an essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at or near their place of work or where there are special circumstances.
The special circumstances put forward in relation to agricultural need do not demonstrate that the harm by reason of inappropriateness is outweighed by other considerations. The development, by reason of its rural, unsustainable location and being in the green belt, is contrary to housing and the overarching development policies.
The proposal is contrary to paragraphs 55 and 89 of the National Planning Policy Framework, Policy CSS1, CSR1 and CSEN2 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Core Strategy 2027 and to saved policies G2 and GB4 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011.
Paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework sets out the special circumstances for isolated homes in the countryside, including where there is an essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at or near their place of work.
The case presented by the applicant seeks to demonstrate there is a need for a worker to be on-site to provide out-of-hours supervision of the stock. It is reasonable to present a case for a dwelling of a size that meets the needs of a worker and their family.
Given the functional need of the land holding, the needs of the worker and family, and the size of the proposed agricultural activity, the proposed size of the dwelling is overly large and not consistent with the essential need. The scale and large floorspace of the dwelling would result in harm to the openness of the green belt and would appear overly large within the rural open landscape.
The proposal would be contrary to paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework, Policy CSEN2 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Core Strategy and GB4 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011.
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