Little Smiths Farm Estate Planning Appeal Update

By Steven Purnell on June 1, 2026 at 8:35 am
Type: News Category: Estate Management
Tags: Announcements | Planning Application

Quick update on the status of the Little Smiths Farm Estate planning appeal.

As the chair of TDRA and the founder of Residents’ First, Nigel Billingham has secured Rule 6 Status, which allows him to be considered an equal participant in the appeals process, alongside the two main parties: the Appellant and the Local Planning Authority (LPA), which is Vale of White Horse District Council.

So far, he has submitted a Statement of Case (SoC), attended a Case Management Conference (CMC) and has negotiated Statements of Common Ground (SoCG) with the Appellant. Next up is the submission of Proof of Evidence on Tuesday 9 June 2026, ahead of the inquiry which is due to start on Tuesday 7 July 2026.

Although Nigel supports the LPA’s objection to the planning application, he is not directly contributing to the primary subject of any potential objection. Instead, he is making recommendations as to how the Inspector can make any approved development acceptable. He’s focusing on the following points:

• Safe and effective integration with existing communities. That covers long-term and construction access routes into the site; and the boundary with The Dovecote.
• The development must work in practice, not just in principle. Based on experience, his aim is to explain how what is planned often turns into something very different if legal obligations are not clear enough.
• Long-term stewardship must be fair, sustainable and transparent. That covers any suggested split in responsibilities between different governance bodies and that funding is provided to whichever governance body takes on long-term maintenance responsibility.
• Governance must provide meaningful resident control. In the same way that residents of The Dovecote have now secured control of its ManCo, future homeowners of the new estate should have the same opportunity.
• Delivery should be collaborative and community-focused. This is an opportunity for the developer to positively engage with the local community in a partnership approach.

If anyone wants to see any of the evolving evidence in support of the appeal, get in contact with us. The published appeal documentation can be found on the Planning Portal.