South Oxfordshire Council Recommends Refusing 170-Home Benson Project
South Oxfordshire District Council recommended rejecting Elivia Homes' proposal for 170 houses in Benson, marking the third failed attempt to develop the site.
The South Oxfordshire District Council has recommended the refusal of a planning application by Elivia Homes to construct 170 homes on farmland south of Watlington Road in Benson. This represents the third time a development bid for the site has been rejected, following failed proposals for 120 and 180 homes in 2018 and 2023.
Despite the developer introducing amendments such as a new 1.5-metre footway and a breeding birds survey, the planning committee chair characterized these changes as limited. The proposal drew strong opposition from the Benson Parish Council and more than 130 local residents.
Benson Parish Council warned that the Ministry of Housing could potentially override the local refusal under The Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2026. This regulation allows the central government to grant permission for developments exceeding 150 units after consulting with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
