Agenda item

Refused, in line with the officer recommendation. Reasons to be set out in the minutes.

The Committee considered application 23/00853/OUT, an outline application for up to 170 dwellings (Use Class C3) with associated open space and vehicular access off Warwick Road, Banbury; All matters reserved except for access at Land East Of Warwick Road Drayton, Warwick Road, Banbury for Vistry Homes.

Chris Brant, on behalf of Keep Hanwell Village Rural Action Group and Hanwell Parish Council, addressed the Committee in objection to the application.

David Murray-Cox, on behalf of the agent for the applicant, Turley, addressed the Committee in support of the application.

In reaching its decision the Committee considered the officers report and presentation addresses from the public speakers and the written updates.

Resolved

That application 23/00853/OUT be refused, in line with the officer’s recommendation, as revised in written updates, for the following reasons:

1.         Cherwell District Council is able to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply meaning that the relevant development plan policies are up to date. The application site is located within open countryside and is not allocated for development. The proposed development by virtue of its visually prominent position, is such that it would breach Banbury’s contained environmental setting, giving rise to a direct risk of coalescence between Banbury and Hanwell, causing undue visual intrusion into the open countryside, fundamentally changing the undeveloped characteristics of these parcels of open arable land, creating a prominent urban built form, inconsistent with the local character, to the detriment of the rural landscape and the identity and individuality of Hanwell village, contrary to Policies PSD1 and BSC1 of the CLP 2031 Part 1, saved Policies C8 and H18 of the CLP 1996 and Government guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.         The proposed development is considered to erode the open arable landscape which provides clear separation between Banbury and Hanwell and forms part of the surroundings within which the setting of Hanwell Conservation Area, St Peter’s Church (Listed Building Grade I) and Hanwell Castle (Listed Building Grade II*) are experienced, to the detriment of and causing harm (less than substantial) to the setting of these designated heritage assets, contrary to policy ESD15 of the CLP 2031 Part 1 and Government guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework.

3.         No evidence base has been provided to attempt to demonstrate whether the loss of this ‘very good’ and ‘good’ quality parcels of agricultural land could be avoided. The proposals thereby fail to satisfy the prescribed criteria under Policy Villages 2 of the CLP 2031 Part 1 and the requirements of para. 174 of the NPPF.

4.         In the absence of a satisfactory unilateral undertaking or any other form of Section 106 legal agreement, the Local Planning Authority is not satisfied that the proposed development provides for appropriate infrastructure contributions required as a result of the development, and necessary to make the impacts of the development acceptable in planning terms. As such, the proposal is contrary to Policy INF1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031, CDC’s Developer Contributions SPD 2018 and Government guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework.