- Decision
- allowed, 9 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Jonathan Edwards
- Authority
- South Oxfordshire (South East)
- Appeal reference
- 6008639
- Application reference
- P25/S3898/LB
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Dropped kerb with grass-reinforced ribbon tracks across verge, side gravel drive, fence and gates at Grade II listed semi in planned Georgian village
- Site context
- listed building setting, conservation area, inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- HE6, HE9
- Development plan policies
- South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2020 DES1, DES2, ENV6, ENV7, ENV8
- Main issues
- conservation area; setting of listed building
Summary
A dropped kerb, ribbon tracks, gravel drive, fence and gates at a Grade II listed cottage in the planned Georgian village of Nuneham Courtenay. Both appeals were allowed. There was no harm to the conservation area or to the listed building's setting, because similar crossovers and laybys already break up the verge (DL ¶14-15).
What made the difference
The existing context. Neighbouring crossovers, a bus layby opposite, and the attached house's matching gravel drive made the change unexceptional. The gravel replaced paving slabs rather than greenery. With no harm found, no HE6 balance was needed.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HE6 | pass | no harm to setting or significance of Grade II LB (C17 pair in planned village); ss16(2), 66(1), 72(1) given "considerable importance" (DL 4, 19-24); no Framework code cited | |
| HE9 | pass | ribbon tracks keep verge open; existing crossovers and laybys already fragment verge; negligible effect; CA preserved (DL 14-18) |
Key facts
- Appeal A 6008639 (LBC, P25/S3898/LB) and Appeal B 6009013 (householder, P25/S3897/HH) decided together (DL 3)
- Nuneham Courtenay one of only two surviving completely planned Georgian villages in England (DL 11)
- Estate legal agreement restricting hardstanding/fences noted but not determinative (DL 17)
- 2026 heritage provisions "similar to those in the previous version"; parties not re-consulted (DL 9)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.