Council's decision to refuse 'car free' homes in Cippenham overturned by planning inspector

A ‘car-free’ housing development in Cippenham has been given the go-ahead after the planning inspector overturned Slough Borough Council’s initial refusal of the plans.

Permission for Throgmorton Developments Limited to demolish a One-Stop convenience store and National Tyres garage at 39-41 Elmshott Lane and build 13 homes was refused in early 2024.

These would be nine flats of one to three bedrooms and four duplex houses.

The plans have seen fierce opposition from residents, scores of whom packed into the council’s Observatory House offices to hear the initial verdict.

But Throgmorton appealed the council’s decision to the Planning Inspectorate – a government body responsible for resolving planning disputes.  

In a decision published this month, a planning inspector has ruled the ‘adverse effects’ of the Elmshott Lane plans are ‘significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the benefits’.

One of the council’s key reasons for refusing the scheme was a feared detrimental effect on parking in surrounding roads.

Throgmorton’s plans provide no parking spaces and instead rely on residents using nearby public transport links or parking on side roads.

In the decision notice, the planning inspector acknowledged the development could result in ’17-18 vehicles’ which needed to be accommodated.

During a day-time site visit, the inspector said the site was ‘heavily parked’ with some drivers even parking in a ‘non-compliant’ way.

Though, during an evening visit, a ‘much greater’ availability of parking was observed. 

The inspector's notice said: ‘The proposal would not result in harm with regard to parking provision and the likely increase in parking demand could be addressed in surrounding streets’.

Despite a ‘deterioration of public transport services’, the inspector said the site was in an ‘accessible location’ – being close to Burnham Station and bus stops.

Throgmorton’s plan also involves demolishing retail space at the One-Stop shop and National Tyres garage. some retail space would be rebuilt in the ground floor of the new development.  

The inspector’s decision said this move ‘could result in the loss of a retail frontage or locally important shop’ which would ‘adversely affect the neighbourhood centre’.

Weighing in favour of the application, the inspector said, were the 13 new homes that would be created.

“There is, on the information before me, an evidenced shortfall in housing within the council area,” the inspector’s notice said.

“The proposal would provide 13 additional homes, which would go some way to addressing the current shortfall, to which I attach significant weight [in decision making].”

The inspector said, ‘the adverse impacts of the proposal would be significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the benefits’.

Several conditions were also attached to the approval notice which included provision of more details for street lighting and cycle storage; and that a construction management plan be approved by Slough Borough Council.   

However, a request for Slough Borough Council to pay Throgmorton Developments Limited its appeal costs was refused.

The inspector said: “While it can be seen from my decision that I have taken a different position, the reasons for refusal were complete, precise, specific, and relevant to the application.

“I do not find that the council failed to substantiate its reasons for refusal, or acted unreasonably in this regard.”

You can view the appeal decision on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.