The Bensington Society
In the Parish of Benson, Oxfordshire, England
Bensington Society Planning News​​​
The South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) is the Local Planning Authority with the power to agree or refuse a planning application and is guided by National Planning Law, the SODC Local Plan, the Benson Neighbourhood Plan (NP) and other planning statutes or regulations. There is a legal, defined timescales for each stage of the planning process. Applications concerning infrastructure issues (e.g. roads, drainage) are referred to the superior planning authority, the Oxfordshire County Council. For further details on Planning Policy please click on the link below:
All planning applications made for development within the Parish of Benson (e.g. extensions, new buildings) should be submitted in the first instance to the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC). Advice on how to prepare, submit, and monitor a planning application may be found on :
The progress of planning applications being processed by SODC may be viewed at the site below:
The Benson Parish Council (BPC) is provided with a full copy of each planning application by the SODC for comment before the SODC formally considers the application. The BPC Planning Committee initially reviews each application and may make a site visit to assess the possible impact that an application might have on the site and neighbouring properties – especially so for those applications affecting the village central preservation order. The committee then reports its recommendations to a full meeting of the Parish Council in order to reach a corporate opinion or decision on the application. Note that members of the public are entitled to speak at the meeting of the full Parish Council to give their opinion on a planning application that perhaps affects them or their property.
The BPC has only the power to advise the SODC of its opinion or decision regarding a planning application, which it then relies on being taken into account by the SODC when reaching its decision. The BPC does not have the power to alter the SODC decision which, unless appealed against by a developer, is final.
Planning applications at SODC concerning Benson may be viewed by clicking the box below. When the map of Benson opens, expand the map until individual buildings appear. Click on the building you are interested in and all current and historical building applications for that building will be listed on the right.
The Bensington Society Responses to the
SODC Pre-submission Draft Local Plan 2034
The following statements were made by The Bensington Society in response to specific Policies within the draft Plan. Those wishing to view the Plan Policies should visit the SODC web site at: To read the Bensington Society comments:
Note that the consultation period has now ended and no further comments can be made at this time.
