Site address:                   1A Cranham Street, Oxford, OX2 6DD

Proposal:                        Erection of three storey building to provide 1x1bed flat at first floor and 1 x 2 bed duplex flat (both Use Class C3) to first and second floor and office accommodation (Use Class A2) at the ground floor. Provision of bin/cycle stores. (amended plans and description).

Reason at Committee:   Called-in by Cllrs Cook, Turner, Smith, Pressel and Rowley On the grounds that this is an application on a controversial site and has been the subject of at least three previous withdrawn applications.

Recommendation:

West Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

(a)    Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of this report and grant planning permission.

(b)    Agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services to:

1.     Finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services considers reasonably necessary

The Committee considered an application (17/03086/FUL) for planning permission for the erection of a three storey building to provide 1x1bed flat at first floor and 1 x 2 bed duplex flat (both Use Class C3) to first and second floor and office accommodation (Use Class A2) at the ground floor. Provision of bin/cycle stores.

The application was called in by Councillors Cook, Turner, Smith, Pressel and Rowley on the grounds that this is an application on a controversial site and has been the subject of at least three previous withdrawn applications.

The Planning Officer presented the report and referred the Committee to the recently published appeal decision by the planning inspectorate granting permission for a previous application for this site (as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report).

The Committee noted that the appeal decision was a material consideration and that the approved scheme has been considered by the inspector to be acceptable in terms of impact on neighbouring amenities, design and on the character of the conservation area.

The Planning Officer explained that the application before the Committee was recommended for approval as it has a vastly improved design and would fit much more neatly into the street scene and would cause less harm to neighbouring amenities as it was set further back and there was provision for privacy screens and some green roofing.

Stephen Broadley (Agent) spoke in favour of the application.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it.  The Committee were of the opinion that the application before them was a significant improvement over the previous applications submitted for this site, including the application which had been approved on appeal. The Committee agreed to impose a further condition relating to the maintenance arrangements and further details for the green roof areas.

On being put to the vote the Committee agreed with the officer recommendation.

The West Area Planning Committee resolved to:

(a)  Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report and the addition of a planning condition relating to the maintenance arrangements and further details for the green roof areas;

(b)  Grant planning permission; and

(c)  Delegate authority to the Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services to:

1.     Finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services considers reasonably necessary.