South Oxfordshire District Council today failed in a High Court bid to block plans for two housing developments on the edge of the village of Chinnor.Earlier this month, lawyers for the council asked Gilbart J to overturn a decision made last year by a government planning inspector allowing developers to build up to 80 homes on land adjoining Greenwood Avenue and 120 homes near Cromwell Road.
In his ruling today the judge dismissed all of their arguments. “In my judgement this inspector produced a clear, well-reasoned decision which addressed all matters properly,” he said in his ruling.
The council initially refused the developments planning permission, but their decision was overturned on appeal after the inspector found that the plans met local need.
Lawyers for the council said that South Oxfordshire was in the process of updating its development plan to take a recent report into local housing need into account.
However the inspector concluded that there was a “policy vacuum” and approved the development.
This “is a planning judgment that was open to her”, Gilbart said in the ruling.
Homebuilder Taylor Wimpey wants to develop the Greenwood Avenue site. According to its website, the proposed development is 800 metres from the village centre and covers an area of around 3.44 hectares. It is currently used as farmland.
The council claims that both schemes are contrary to council policies and “would cause harm to the character and environment of the local area”.
South Oxfordshire District Council v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Planning Court (Gilbart J) 19 May 2016
