Planning Application Details

That the proposal would be contrary to policy EN5 of the Oxfordshire Structure Plan, policy G4 of the Oxfordshire Structure Plan (Deposit Draft), policy GB1 of the Council's adopted Central Oxfordshire Local Plan and policy GB2 of the Council's approved South Oxfordshire Local Plan (as proposed to be modified). The site lies within the Oxford Green Belt wherein there is a general presumption against new development apart from that which is essential for the needs of agriculture, forestry and recreation or some other purpose appropriate to the Green Belt. It is considered there is insufficient justification to warrant any departure from these Green Belt policies. That the proposal would be contrary to the general environmental and housing policies of the Oxfordshire Structure Plan (policies G1, EN1, EN4 and H1), the Oxfordshire Structure Plan (Deposit Draft) (policies G1, G2, EN1, EN5 and H1), the Central Oxfordshire Local Plan (policies G1, G5, C5 and H4) and the South Oxfordshire Local Plan (policies G1, G8, C3 and H5 as proposed to be modified). The site lies within an Area of Great Landscape Value and is not considered to constitute a strict infill plot, that is a small gap in an otherwise built up frontage. Its development by the erection of seven dwellings would consolidate the existing scatter of development, be out of keeping with and detract from the spacious character of the area. That the development would be contrary to Central Government advice set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 - Green Belts which states that there is a general presumption against inappropriate development within the Green Belt except for the needs of agriculture, forestry, outdoor sport, cemeteries and other uses of land which preserve the openness of the area. The proposal does not constitute limited infilling and it therefore comprises an inappropriate form of development that is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt. No exceptional circumstances have been put forward that would warrant overriding this Government Guidance. That the proposal would be contrary to policies CON1, CON2, CON4 and CON7 of the Central Oxfordshire Local Plan and policies CON7, CON8, CON10 and CON15 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan (as proposed to be modified). It is considered that the erection of seven dwellings on this prominent site would neither preserve nor enhance the character of the Stanton St John Conservation Area and would detract from the setting of St John the Baptist Church, which is a Grade I listed building.