150 homes and care facilities at Land At Islip Fuel Depot Adjoining Oxford To Bicester Railway Bletchingdon Road Islip

Summary of planning committee decision

Decided by Cherwell Planning Committee on 23 Jul 2026.

25/02918/OUTApproved

Earlier applications and use

The depot opened in 1930 and closed in 1994; an earlier permission-in-principle application for nine homes was withdrawn.

“The following planning history is considered relevant to the current proposal: 24/00295/PIP – Permission in Principle – redevelopment to provide 9 dwellings. Withdrawn…”

Officer report

The main planning balance

Officers identified moderate landscape harm and conflict with the village housing strategy, but gave greater weight to housing, affordable homes, specialist accommodation and brownfield redevelopment.

“The proposed development would not accord fully with the Development Plan. The site lies beyond the built-up limits of Islip and the proposal would therefore conflict with the spatial strategy of the adopted Local Plan and with saved Policy H18 relating to residential development in the countryside. Moderate weight is attached to this conflict. 10.3.”

“The delivery of market housing attracts significant positive weight and the affordable housing provision attracts very substantial positive weight given the acute need for affordable homes across the District. Additional substantial weight is attributed to the provision of a 70-bed care home and up to 65 retirement or assisted living units.”

Officer report

The committee decision

The committee followed the officer recommendation and delegated authority to grant permission subject to conditions and completion of a section 106 agreement.

“(1) That, in line with officer recommendation, authority be delegated to the Assistant Director - Planning to grant permission for application 25/02918/OUT subject to:”

Minutes

Conditions and legal agreement

The decision included reserved matters, design, access, construction, ecology, contamination, drainage, water and infrastructure requirements, alongside financial contributions.

“Prior to the submission of any reserved matters application, a Design Code to include the distribution of land uses, form of buildings, street frontage, materials, servicing, parking and sustainability features shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Thereafter, each reserved matters application shall be submitted in accordance with the approved Design Code.”

“Full drainage calculations for all events up to and including the 1 in 100 year plus 40% climate change; • A Flood Exceedance Conveyance Plan; • Comprehensive infiltration testing across the site to BRE DG 365 (if applicable) • Detailed design drainage layout drawings of the SuDS proposals including cross-section details; • Detailed maintenance management plan in accordance with Section 32 of CIRIA C753 including maintenance schedules for each drainage element, and; • …”

Minutes

Sources

  • Cherwell Planning Committee minutes, 23 July 2026
  • Agenda and papers (council website)

Source: Plota analysis of Cherwell's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.

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At the meeting

Council
Cherwell
Date
Thursday 23 July 2026
Recommendation
Officers recommended approval
Committee decided
Approved
Minutes
The council's minutes
Meeting
Agenda and papers (council website)
Application
The application (council website)

This committee's year

17 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.

Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.

Every decision by this council's committees →