Charity in legal challenge over buffer between development and adjoining ancient woodland site

A charity has launched a legal challenge to the discharge of conditions to a development near an ancient woodland site.

Friends of the West Oxfordshire Cotswolds said that, with the support of 55 local and district residents, it had reached its £30,000 target to support the challenge over a development at Rushy Bank in Charlbury.  

The charity said: “Final plans show the development fails to deliver on its minimal 5 metre buffer to the adjoining ancient woodland site with dwellings 1.5m from the woodland edge. Natural England and our Local Plan specify a 15m minimum buffer.”

It added that it wrote to West Oxfordshire District Council setting out its complaint on 1 September. However, the council has rejected the complaint and the charity has filed a claim in the High Court.

Friends of West Oxfordshire Cotswolds said: “We greatly regret the expense which such a process will involve. We have not been helped in avoiding this by WODC’s failure to disclose revised plans for the development submitted on 6 July. These plans were amended in response to our evidence that they were moving the edge of the development into the woodland.”

A spokesperson for West Oxfordshire District Council said: "With this case going to judicial review it would be inappropriate for us to comment until the conclusion of the review."