Wallingford: 63 homes plan recommended for refusal

Nicholas King Homes submitted an outline planning application to redevelop the land off Wantage Road – at the site of Purely Plants nursery - in March.

It received more than 50 objections in the public consultation –  with concerns over the impact on infrastructure and traffic in Wallingford.

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The developer now faces an uphill battle to get the plan past South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee after it was recommended for refusal by planning officer Adrian Duffield.

In his report, he noted issues with the design of the homes.

He said: “The proposed new buildings are not sensitively located and designed to avoid or minimise impacts on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and would have an adverse impact on the landscape, neither conserving or enhancing the natural scenic beauty of the AONB.

“The proposal would extend the built-up limits of Wallingford into open countryside and would harm the landscape and rural character of the area and have an adverse impact on public views.”

He added: “The development does not respect the existing local context or complement the scale and height, or grain of the surrounding area.”

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Traffic was also raised as a concern.

The new development, which would have forced Purely Plants to relocate, would have continued to use the nursery’s access road, which would have been enlarged.

In a transport assessment, it was predicted the number of two-way vehicle trips would increase from 134 to 157 from 7am to 7pm on the access road as a result of the development.

But Mr Duffield said the proposed access would not be ‘safe and convenient for all users.’

He added: “The application fails to properly assess the traffic impacts of the proposed development, the potential delays on the local highway network and the resulting impact on highway safety.”

Another issue raised was the lack of provision for potential residents of the new houses.

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Mr Duffield said the application ‘fails to demonstrate it can provide space for an adequate landscape buffer, that it can provide sufficient private garden space for all properties, that it can provide sufficient usable public open space in an appropriate location, and allotments and play facilities.”

The plan was found to be contrary to parts of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035, as well as the Wallingford Neighbourhood Plan

There was also insufficient information on the impact of the development on archaeology and contaminated land.

Nicholas King Homes have been contacted for comment on the refusal.