Planning

What We Do

The Society’s Planning Committee usually meets 13 to 14 times per year, in the weeks that Henley Town Council Planning Committee meets. It examines and comments on every Planning Application lodged with the Planning Authority South Oxfordshire District Council.

We have an experienced Committee consisting of former Town, District and County Planning Councillors, plus an expert on the Conservation Area, AONB and Listed Buildings. Three of our Committee members sat on the Joint Henley & Harpsden Neighbourhood Plan Committee that will provide the Planning strategy for Henley and Harpsden for the period up to 2035.

The Committee is always keen to welcome fresh faces and if you have an interest in planning matters then we would be pleased to hear from you. Just let our Secretary Nick Richardson know.

Planning Committee Members

Joan Bland

Joan Clark

Dr Jenny Copeland

Ruth Gibson

Geoff Luckett

Jeannette Matelot

Nick Richardson

Monnik Vleugels

David Whitehead

How To Find A South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) Planning Application

You can search by the reference number if you have it by clicking on the following SODC link: SODC application reference search

If you don’t have an application reference number try the advanced search by clicking on the following SODC link: SODC advanced planning application search

This page allows you to search for applications using a number of different search options.

How to Comment On A Planning Application Effectively

People will have many reasons to support or oppose a planning application. They may be entirely sensible, but some of them cannot legally be considered when deciding whether to grant or reject an application.

Examples of valid objections to planning applications which are called ‘material considerations’ include:

Loss of light or overshadowing
Overlooking/loss of privacy
Visual amenity – but not loss of private view
Adequacy of parking/loading/turning

Examples of objections which are not considered relevant include:

Loss of value to your property
Competition with an existing business
Boundary dispute
Loss of view

For further information on how to comment on a Planning Application and to find a more comprehensive list of valid objections, please click on the following SODC link: SODC guide to making your comment effectively.

Neighbourhood Plan

Henley Town Council, at its meeting on 8 December 2022, agreed to adopt the Joint Henley and Harspden Neighbourhood Plan Review covering the years 2020-2035, replacing the previous 2016 Plan.

Download the plan here.

High Profile Planning Applications

Click to read about the Premier Inn Appeal.