Land east of Grove: refused
Not every proposal around Wantage and Grove has gone ahead. In 2022 David Wilson Homes applied to build up to 300 homes on farmland east of Grove. The site was not allocated for housing in the Vale Local Plan.
What happened
Vale of White Horse District Council refused the application in July 2022. It said the scheme would have significant negative effects on the countryside and landscape and that there was no need for more housing in that location. The developer appealed, and the case went to a public inquiry.
A central question was whether the council could show a five-year supply of land for housing. If a council cannot, national policy makes it much harder to refuse new housing. The developer challenged the council’s figures and method. The inspector agreed with the council that the district had more than five years’ supply, putting it at around 6.36 years against the council’s published 6.29 years. The inspector also concluded that even if there had been a shortfall, the harm to the landscape would clearly outweigh the benefits. The appeal was dismissed in March 2023.
By the numbers
- 300 homes proposed
- 6.29 years: the council’s published housing land supply at the time
- July 2022: refused by the council
- March 2023: appeal dismissed
Why it matters
The decision showed how far the large allocated sites, including Kingsgrove, Grove Airfield and Monks Farm, were already meeting housing need around Wantage and Grove. The council presented it as proof that its local plan and landscape assessment could stop development it considered unplanned. Housing supply has tightened since then. The council’s September 2026 statement puts the district’s supply at 5.26 years, and national planning policy has since been updated, so similar sites could be judged differently in future.
How to follow it
The appeal decision is on the Planning Inspectorate’s appeals casework portal. The original application can be found by searching for the site on the Vale of White Horse planning register.