8 Knolles Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX4 3HS

1. 1.The proposed extension by virtue of its depth, two storey height and resulting roof form would result in an overly bulky and unsympathetic addition that would fail to respect the form and scale of the original dwellinghouse, and would not appear subservient and would almost completely obscure the form and character of the existing dwelling. The proposal would read as an incongruous form of development, and due to the additional front door would be at odds with the predominant character of the wider surrounding area and would be considered not to constitute high quality design, contrary to Policy DH1 of the Oxford Local Plan and the NPPF. To sign up to receive news from Oxford City Council straight to your inbox scan the QR code Oxford City Council, PO Box 10, Oxford, OX1 1EN REFULZ
2. 2.Due to the constrained nature of the site, on account of the narrow side access and small gap due the bay window and placement of the bin store, the site fails to provide convenient and unobstructed access for the occupiers of the new dwelling to move their bicycles in and out. As such the proposal fails to comply with Policy M5 of the Oxford Local Plan 2036.
3. 3.Had the overriding reason for refusal above not applied, the Local Planning Authority would have sought a two bat emergence/ re-entry surveys to be undertaken between May and August to ensure the impact on protected species is properly addressed and mitigation secured if necessary, in accordance with policy G2 of the Oxford Local Plan 2036 and the National Planning Policy Framework.
4. 4.The proposed development would result in the loss of two trees and 45m2 of garden and, would exceed 25sqm, as such would not meet the de minimis exemption. The submitted metric does not account for the loss of the trees and urban vegetated garden. The BNG Metric and associated Assessment indicate that the BNG Trading Rules have not been met. In the absence of correct documents, the submission fails to demonstrate how the development would deliver biodiversity net gain in accordance with Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
5. 5.The proposed development would significantly increase the impermeable area on the site and no assessment has been made of this impact in terms of surface water drainage. The proposed development would create additional dwellings, resulting in intensification of the site. As such a Drainage Strategy demonstrating how surface water would be dealt with on-site through the use of sustainable drainage methods (SuDS) is required prior to determination of the application. In the absence of such, the submission fails to show how the proposal would comply with Policy RE4 of the Oxford Local Plan 2036 PLEASE NOTE All local plan policies and proposals which are relevant to this decision are specified in the list below which forms part of this decision notice. However, in circumstances whereby this notice relates to a refusal of planning permission, the particular policies and proposals in each local plan which form the basis for the Council’s refusal to grant planning permission are referred to in the reasons for refusal set out above. S1 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 S1- Presumption in favour of sustainable development DH1 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 DH1 - High quality design and placemaking RE2 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 Oxford Local Plan 2036 Policy RE2 - Efficient use of land RE4 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 RE4 - Sustainable and foul drainage, surface and groundwater flow RE7 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 RE7 - Managing the impact of development H14 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 H14 - Privacy, daylight and sunlight H15 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 H15 - Internal space standards H16 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 H16 - Outdoor amenity space standards RE1 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 Oxford Local Plan 2036 Policy RE1 - Sustainable design and construction DH7 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 DH7 - External servicing features and stores M3 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 M3 - Motor vehicle parking M5 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 M5 - Bicycle Parking G2 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 G2 - Protection of biodiversity and geo-diversity G7 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 G7 - Protection of existing Green Infrastructure features G8 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 G8 - New and enhanced Green and Blue Infrastructure Network Features G6 - Oxford Local Plan 2036 G6 - Residential garden land David Butler

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

OX4 3HS

Date validated

17 March 2026

Architect profile

NICOLA RICHARDSON ARCHITECTS LTD