Securing planning permission for a 3-bedroom property in large garden of South Oxfordshire home

The Brief

The application site related to a property in South Oxfordshire, near Henley-on-Thames. The clients wanted to make the best use of their large garden by erecting a new three-bedroom property. Whilst the site was positioned within the countryside, there were policies which supported infill development, providing certain criteria was met. It was our job, therefore, to ensure that any future planning application was a suitable form of development, which would be favourably received by the Council.

Our Solution

We worked very closely with the architect to inform them of the constraints to the site. Given that this development was infill, there were residential dwellings in very close proximity, with impacts such as loss of privacy, overshadowing and overbearing to think about. In addition, the area was characterised by very traditional buildings and as such, the proposed new dwelling needed to respect the area’s distinctiveness and be in keeping.

With our help and expertise, the proposed dwelling was designed to complement the built form of the local area and the site’s constraints, taking on an L-shaped form and 1.5 storeys. The L-shaped form ensured that it would not be overbearing on its nearest neighbours and the strategic positioning of a garage, protected the privacy of both existing and future occupiers. Sufficient parking was provided, which accorded with the Local Authority’s Parking Standards and future occupiers could enjoy a generous garden.

The final plans resulted in a development that did not appear cramped or contrived. An examination into the size of houses in their area and their gardens was undertaken to demonstrate that the proposal accorded with the general plot to built development ratio. This was highlighted within a robust Planning Statement, which accompanied the planning application. The Statement assessed the proposal against both National and Local Planning Policy and demonstrated that it would be acceptable.

The statement also contained appeal precedents and identified that the Council could meet their 5-year housing land supply. As the site was positioned within the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a landscape assessment was also included within the Planning Statement, to show that there would not be any landscape or visual effects.

Project Success

The infill dwelling was approved without any objection within the statutory 8-week determination period.