Inspector; Appeal Decision“Overall, due to the combination of high demand, under-supply of suitable modern accommodation, and complete absence of other care homes in the pipeline in Oxford, I place substantial positive weight on the proposed care homes, in either scheme.”
In the late 2010’s, the Conservative Council at South Oxfordshire decided to produce a positive pro-growth Local Plan, which removed several large sites from the Green Belt. Councillors were conscious of the economic pressure building in Oxfordshire and the lack of housing for employees of the new growth sector industries.
Then, in around 2019, the Council was taken over by an alliance including Liberal Democrats, Greens and local issue councillors. They sought (and failed) to abandon the emerging plan. Having done so, they proposed a new local plan which seeks to de-allocate several sites. This appeal site was one of them.
The client bought the appeal site when it was allocated in the adopted Local Plan. It remains an allocated site (for now) and an outline application was made (and refused) for up to 121 dwellings and a care home. The client then submitted a smaller scheme (up to 76 dwellings and a care home) to try and safeguard the site before it was de-allocated. This too was refused for multiple reasons.
There were four appeals because a small part of the site is in Oxford City. All were heard at Inquiry at the beginning of April 2025. Whilst the appeals on the larger site were dismissed (due largely to the impact upon woodland bats and the effect of proposed remedial issues upon householders living conditions) the appeals on the smaller scheme were allowed. This will provide much needed housing in the Oxford locality (50% being affordable) along with an 80 bed care home to, at least partially, offset the significant undersupply across the city.
The planning authority had accepted that a need for the care home development existed, attributing ‘moderate’ weight to the matter. It was always the contention of HPC that the need was understated and, after evidencing such at Inquiry, it was pleasing to note the Inspectors agreement – attributing ‘substantial positive weight’ in the decision.
