New Road Appeal Dismissed. A victory for Shiplake's Neighbourhood Plan

The decision notice for Appeal 6003006, relating to land north of New Road, Lower Shiplake, has been published today on the Planning Inspectorate website (although formal notification to the PC is still awaited).

This positive outcome follows a significant collaborative effort involving South Oxfordshire District Council, local residents—particularly Karen Cooper, Rhiannon Davies, and Mike Edwards—and Shiplake Parish Council.

This decision represents a notable success for the community and reinforces the strength and relevance of the adopted Shiplake Villages Neighbourhood Plan.

Here is a link to the inspector's decision notice: https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6003006

The Inspector K Stephens dismissed the Appeal.
If you recall  the main issues in this appeal were:
• Whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for housing with regard to local and national policies;
• Whether the site is in an accessible location in relation to transport and infrastructure; and
•The effect of the proposal on the rural character of the area.

 Here are some selecetd quotes from within the decision notice:

• To conclude on this main issue, as the appeal site lies outside the defined BUA [Built up Area] boundary of Lower Shiplake, the proposal would conflict with the Council’s spatial strategy and hence would not be a suitable location for housing regarding local and national policies. Accordingly, the proposal would be contrary to Local Plan Policies STRAT1, H1, H8 and H16 and SNP Policies SV1 and SV2, whose aims are set out above.
• From the submitted evidence, what I heard at the Hearing and my own site observations, I am of the view that the proposal would not actively encourage walking and cycling and that the proposal would fail to prioritise pedestrian/cyclist movements, fail to materially improve the pedestrian and cycling environment to make it safe and attractive for all users and thus the site’s location would not be sustainable in terms of transport infrastructure. Accordingly the proposal would conflict with Local Plan Policy TRANS5 and the Framework.
• The erection of 25 houses, 23 of which would be arranged on the larger parcel as a housing estate, would see the loss of open rural and agricultural land that currently forms the countryside and helps give Lower Shiplake its essential rural character. The development would remove this and instead introduce buildings, roads, driveways, garden boundaries and domestic paraphernalia to what are currently a paddock and an arable field and urbanise New Road. Despite retention of the roadside hedgerow and some additional planting the proposal would erode and reduce the intrinsic rural character of the site and New Road and elongate the village out into the countryside.The proposal would harm the rural character and appearance of the area. Accordingly, the proposed development would be contrary to Local Plan Policy DES2 and SNP Policy SV7, whose aims are outlined above......Whilst all applications are assessed on their merits and circumstances, I am of the view that allowing development on the appeal site would make it harder for the Council to resist development proposals on the other field parcels along New Road.
  
  
  
  

Posted by: Chris Penrose | 09/04/2026 12:22 pm

That's great news. Thank you to all involved.

Posted by: PHILIP BIGGS | 09/04/2026 6:13 pm