40 homes at OS Parcel, 3623 Thame Road, Longwick

The site and surroundings

The 2.07-hectare site included a dwelling, open fields and a barn, with trees, hedges and two adjoining Grade II listed cottages.

“Site description 2.1 The site lies on the northwestern side of Thame Road and is 2.07 ha in area. The site currently comprises land that is associated with a residential dwelling, and open fields which include a barn structure. The site is part greenfield and part previously developed, with the former being the majority. The site is relatively level in topography.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because housing and affordable housing benefits outweighed limited spatial harm and substantial heritage harm, subject to obligations and conditions.

“Adverse effects 6.9 Limited negative weight is attributed to the harm arising from the conflict with the spatial policies of the development plan. This point relates to the fact that the application site is located outside the settlement boundary of Longwick and is therefore contrary to local plan policies CP3 (Settlement Strategy) and policy A1 of the Longwick-cum-Ilmer Neighbourhood Plan.”

“Recommendation: 8.1 The recommendation is that the application be delegated to the Director of Planning and Environment for APPROVAL subject to the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement to secure the following: • Provision of a minimum 48% of the dwellings for on-site affordable housing (and related controls) - split 80% affordable housing for rent and 20% intermediate housing; • Financial contribution towards primary education; • Financial contribution towards…”

Officer report

Main planning issues

The committee considered whether the housing shortfall and other benefits were substantially outweighed by adverse effects.

“During consideration of the item, the Committee carefully considered the shortfall in five-year housing land supply and whether this and other benefits arising from the development would be substantially outweighed by any adverse effects.”

Minutes

Who spoke

The speakers included a ward member, a parish council representative, the local MP, two objectors and the agent.

The committee vote

Councillor C Harriss proposed refusal, Councillor A Collingwood seconded it, and Councillor Maz Hussain did not take part in the subsequent vote.

“It was proposed by Councillor C Harriss, seconded by Councillor A Collingwood and Resolved: That the application be refused on the following grounds (detailed further in the decision notice):”

“Note 3: Councillor Maz Hussain briefly left the room during the debate and therefore took no part in the subsequent vote. Note 4: Councillor I Hussain left the meeting at the conclusion of this item.”

Minutes

The decision

The application was refused because it would expand development beyond Longwick’s settlement boundary, harm listed buildings and lack necessary infrastructure obligations.

“Resolved: That the application be refused on the following grounds (detailed further in the decision notice): 1. The proposed development by reason of its location outside of the defined settlement boundary of Longwick would result in the unplanned expansion of built development into the rural landscape on land not allocated for residential development.”

“In the absence of a satisfactory completed legal agreement, the development would fail to secure the following planning obligations for necessary infrastructure to mitigate the impacts arising from the new homes: • Provision of a minimum 48% of the dwellings for on-site affordable housing (and related controls) – split 80% affordable housing for rent and 20% intermediate housing. • Financial contribution towards primary education.”

Minutes