Conditions / Refusal Reasons
The site is not an infill site in a built up frontage, and is not closely surrounded by buildings. Hill Bottom has limited facilities and poor public transport links, so that occupiers would be highly dependent on travel by car for employment and other services, consequently the development is not sustainable in transport terms. The application does not accord with the district's strategy for growth to allow limited growth on infill sites only in the smaller villages and development would undermine this spatial strategy. Notwithstanding the Districts' lack of a 5 year housing supply, for the reasons set out the proposal is unsustainable and therefore contrary to the NPPF, NPPG and policies CSS1, CSR1, CSM1 of the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy and Policy G3 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan.
The proposed development by virtue of its expansion of the built up area of Hill Bottom, and loss of an important gap that contributes to the loose-knit character of the area, would degrade the rural character of the site to the detriment of the character of this part of Hill Bottom and the landscape qualities of the Chilterns AONB. The development conflicts with paragraph 115 of the NPPF and policies CSEN1 and CSR1 of the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy, saved policies G2 and C4 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan. The harm caused by the development would demonstrably outweigh the benefit of three new dwellings in this location notwithstanding the Districts' lack of a 5 year housing supply.
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