History made as first ever housing application for a Neighbourhood Plan approved

AN historic decision, likely to affect all future Neighbourhood planning, was taken last night when the first ever major outline planning application, as part of a Neighbourhood Plan, was passed by South Oxfordshire District Council in respect of Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan.

The district council’s planning committee, after much discussion and debate, voted unanimously to pass outline planning consent for 175 houses to be build on part of what is known as Site D in the Neighbourhood Plan, to the South of Thame. Two other planning applications on that site which will bring it to a total of 205 dwellings, but in separate ownership, are yet to go before the planners.

Some misgivings had been expressed to planning officers, regarding air quality in Park Street, Thame, as a result of perceived increased traffic generation from the development, and noise from adjacent industrial uses of nearby barns. These were however, addressed by the planning officer. Also a resident was concerned about possible light pollution from street lighting, which apparently has since been removed from the plan.

Another resident was concerned about the impact on their amenity of access to Cuttlebrook.

Mr James Castle, spoke to the committee questioning the calculations for increased traffic along Park Street, to which Cllr Mike Welply responded with information that a new junction is currently being planned to divert non through traffic along the by pass.

There was some disagreement between Thame Town Council, represented by the Clerk, Helen Stewart and Cllr Mike Welply, about the disignation of part of the surrounding farm land to the West of the site, as Public Access open space. The landowner wants the right to keep it free from the public because it is used for sheep and at certain times of the year, for lamb rearing.

The whole of the planning meeting meeting can be viewed as a Webcast HERE – The Thame application begins at 00:27:38