Flats plan for former Banbury office gets through appeal

A developer has won a fight to be allowed change of use of a disused Banbury office so it can become nine homes.
Crouch Street, Banbury. A developer seeks to turn this vacant office block into flats NNL-180703-101104001Crouch Street, Banbury. A developer seeks to turn this vacant office block into flats NNL-180703-101104001
Crouch Street, Banbury. A developer seeks to turn this vacant office block into flats NNL-180703-101104001

Daejan Enterprises Ltd has won an appeal against Cherwell District Council’s refusal to allow the changeof use consent for 30 Crouch Street.

However planning inspector Alex Hutson said the company would have to return to Cherwell’s planners to apply for permission for the adaptations to the building, which has lain empty for a number of years.

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“The appellant would need to secure planning permission for the operational development required to fully implement the change of use.

“I recognise there is no guarantee that planning permission would be granted; such an approach would be at the appellant’s own risk.”

Cherwell and Oxfordshire highways authority had removed their objections to parking issues after Daejan produced new plans for parking bays for the appeal.

However Cherwell had also opposed the plan for conversion into six two-bedroomed apartments and three one-bedroomed flats as it would involve a significant number of changes to windows to the building, which is not listed but is in the Banbury Conservation Area.

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A neighbour objected strongly to the plan saying some of the flats’ windows would look directly into his first-floor rooms.

The inspector said these issues would fall back to the district council in a future planning application.