Planning Application Details

The proposed development would not be in accordance with the council's housing distribution strategy in that it lies outside the built-up limits of Chinnor, is not allocated for housing and would not meet infilling criteria. The proposed development would be inappropriate development in a countryside location outside of the built-up area of the village. The proposed development would provide new dwellings in a location that is not particularly accessible to local services and facilities. The narrowness of the pedestrian route into Chinnor, shared with commercial vehicular traffic combined with the lack of vehicular and pedestrian / cyclist segregation, absence of lighting and the limited visibility at the pinch point at the end of Springfield Gardens would discourage travel by means other than the private car. As such, the proposal would not promote sustainable transport and accessibility. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the aims and objectives of Policies CH H1, CH H6 and CH H7 of the Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan Review II 2023 and Policies STRAT1, H1, H16 and TRANS2 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035 and national guidance at paragraph 110 of the NPPF.

The proposed development would be accessed from a narrow rural lane, designated as a public right of way, without streetlighting and separate provision for pedestrians and cyclists. The local road network at the point where it intersects with the public footpath on Springfield Gardens is a pinch point with limited forward visibility. The proposed residential development would increase the frequency of non-motorised users such as pedestrians/cyclists and vulnerable users such as people with prams and the mobility impaired. The proposed development would result in a significant increase in vehicular movements overall, including increased numbers of larger vehicles associated with the enhancement of the commercial floorspace. This is a fundamental issue that could not be addressed at the Technical Design Consent stage. As such, the proposal would increase the risk to highway and pedestrian safety and would be contrary to the aims and objectives of Policy TRANS5 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035 and national guidance at paragraph 116.

The proposed increase in the amount of residential units on the site, where the proposed development would seek to replicate the density and form of the built-up area of the village, would lead to an intrusive form of development, which would be inappropriate in this countryside location and would result in visual harm to the landscape setting of this part of Chinnor. This is a fundamental issue that could not be mitigated at the Technical Design Consent stage. The proposed significant intensification of residential occupation of the site and potential enhanced employment generation would lead to a significant increase in the level of vehicular and general activity that would impact adversely on the tranquillity of the rural setting of this part of the village. As such, the proposal would be contrary to the aims and objectives of Policies ENV1, DES1 and DES2 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035 and the Policy CH C1 of the Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan Review II 2023.