12 residential units at Boveney Court Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Buckinghamshire East & South Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee on 3 Feb 2026.
What was proposed
The application proposed demolishing an open-sided barn, converting existing buildings and constructing five new homes, creating 12 residential units overall.
“Application Number: PL/25/0354/FA Proposal: Demolition of open sided barn, conversion, alteration and change of use of existing buildings to Use Class C3 (residential) to provide 7 residential units and construction of 5 new residential units, to provide a total of 12 residential units including hard and soft landscaping, attenuation pond, bin and cycle stores, car parking, infrastructure and associated works.”
Officer report
What officers recommended
Officers considered the development acceptable because housing, affordable housing, biodiversity, listed-building restoration and environmental benefits outweighed the identified harms.
“The site's proposed redevelopment will make effective and efficient use of previously developed land and would make a positive contribution to the Council's housing needs and supply. This housing provision represents a benefit that weighs in favour of the proposal and when taking into consideration the level of need, the number of homes being provided, and the fact it utilises previously development land, it is considered that this should be attributed significant…”
“However, it is considered that these harms do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits that the development would provide, which include the provision of additional new dwellings, the provision towards affordable housing, and enhancements to the historic and natural environments. Taking all of the above into account it is considered that the proposal benefits from the Frameworks presumption in favour of sustainable development.”
Officer report
The committee debate
No public speaking took place, and members focused on the proposal’s failure to meet the Golden Rules for affordable housing and publicly accessible green space.
“Members acknowledged that the proposal would not fully meet the Golden Rules and having regard to the ‘Tilted Balance’ it was considered that this issue would result in the adverse impacts of granting permission significantly and demonstrably outweighing the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole.”
Minutes
The vote
Councillor S Wilson proposed refusal and Councillor C Caesar seconded it; members voted in favour of refusing the application against the officer recommendation.
“Members voted in favour of the motion to refuse the application, contrary to the Officer’s recommendation on the grounds that it did not meet the Golden Rules within paragraph 156 of the NPPF, specifically the sub-paragraphs as follows:-”
“It was proposed by Councillor S Wilson and seconded by Councillor C Caesar.”
Minutes
The members' reasons
The members' reasons are quoted from the minutes above, under “The vote”.
Councillors at the meeting
- Kirsten AshmanConservative
- Cole CaesarReform UK
- Thomas HoggConservative
- Wendy MatthewsConservative
- Jackson NgConservative
- Mark RobertsLib Dem
- Martin TettConservative
- Jonathan WatersLib Dem
- Stuart WilsonIndependent
- Frances KnellerSubstitute for Mohammed Fayyaz; Declared an interestLib Dem
Proposed by Councillor Stuart Wilson, seconded by Councillor Cole Caesar.
Apologies David Moore Conservative, Paul Griffin Independent, Mohammad Fayyaz Lib Dem
Source: Plota analysis of the council's minutes; parties from the council's list of councillors.
Sources
- Buckinghamshire East & South Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee minutes, 3 February 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Buckinghamshire's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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See the API →At the meeting
- Council
- Buckinghamshire
- Date
- Tuesday 3 February 2026
- Recommendation
- Officers recommended approval
- Committee decided
- Refused, against officer advice
- Councillors
- 10Conservative 5Lib Dem 3Independent 1Reform UK 1Show councillors
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- View application →
- All decisions
- Buckinghamshire committee decisions →
This committee's year
9 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting, 2 against officer advice.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.