Land Between Hawthorn Villa And 1 Linwood Cottage Station Road Offenham

1. 1.The application site is located outside the defined development boundary of Offenham as defined under adopted Policy SWDPR03 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review. The site is therefore located within the open countryside, where development is strictly controlled, subject to the other policies of the Plan. The principle of residential development on this site is not established by any of the relevant exceptions within the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review. Furthermore, the proposal does not fall within any of the relevant forms of development supported outside settlements under Policy S5 of the National Planning Policy Framework. In particular, the proposed development would not constitute limited infilling within a group of houses, as it would extend the existing residential form of development beyond the existing and permitted dwellings rather than occupy a limited gap within an established group of houses. The Council is able to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites and the proposal is not required to address an evidenced unmet housing need. Accordingly, there is no justification for residential development in this countryside location. Accordingly, the location of the proposed development fails to accord with the provisions of Policy SWDPR03 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review and the relevant decision-making policies of the National Planning Policy Framework. The proposal would prejudice the Council's spatial strategy of directing development towards sustainable locations and settlements.
2. 2.By virtue of its backland nature, the proposed development would appear as an incongruous and poorly integrated form of development that is at odds with the prevailing pattern of development. As such, the proposal would have an adverse impact on the character of the locality and would fail to integrate effectively with its surroundings and landscape. The development is therefore contrary to Policies SWDPR28 and SWDPR34 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (2026) and Policy DP3 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

From the council's decision notice.

Application type

Permission in Principle

Parish

Offenham

Date validated

25 August 2026

Applicant

Private applicant

Agent address

7 Hermitage Street Leckhampton Cheltenham GL53 7NX

Case officer

Isabelle Badland