Hearing on Chiltern House

UPDATE:

Decision by H.M Inspectorate, dated 25 February 2020:

The appeal against AVDC's refusal has been dismissed, and full planning permission for demolition of the existing building and the erection of a three storey building comprising 17 one and two bedroom apartments with parking has been refused.

Read the full Inspector's Report by clicking on the PDF.
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The owners of Chiltern House, near Browns on Thame Road, have applied to demolish the building and replace it with a block of 17 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

On Thursday 30th January 2020 an informal appeal hearing was held at AVDC offices in Aylesbury, following the District Council's rejection of the original planning application.

David Truesdale, Chairman of Haddenham Parish Council reports on the outcome of that appeal meeting.

The hearing took place before a Government Planning Inspector following the applicant's appeal for non-determination by AVDC. The application was to demolish and redevelop for flats. Prior to the hearing AVDC had submitted a report confirming they would have refused permission.

Three members of the public attended from Haddenham: myself for the Parish Council; AVDC councillor, Brian Foster; and Richard Hirst on behalf of the Village Society. We were all given the opportunity to speak and make our objections known.

The Parish Council had also made a written submission to the Inspector prior to the inquiry.

The inspector has to remain impartial at this stage so gave no indication of her thinking. She will now write her report, which will be issued by the Planning Inspectorate, probably within the next month or two.

If refused, the applicant is threatening to implement the permitted development right he already has to convert the existing office block to flats. This right exists because of a recent Government decision to relax planning controls thereby enabling offices to convert to flats without the need for planning permission. This move has been highly criticised from all quarters as a recipe for creating tomorrow's slums. In one case recently in Watford the building concerned created flats without windows.

David Truesdale
Chairman, Haddenham Parish Council