1.    As this was a remote meeting and for the benefit of anyone following the meeting on audio the Clerk read out the names of the committee members and of those officers in attendance.

2.    The Clerk read out a statement on the procedures which would apply to the remote meeting, the main points of which were:

New regulations have been passed that enable the Council to hold meetings without some or all Committee Members being physically present together in a room. These regulations take precedence over existing legislation and the Council’s pre-existing procedure rules.

To ensure the smooth running of remote meetings under the new regulations, it has been necessary to amend some of the Council’s procedure rules. The Chief Executive has done this by using the emergency powers delegated to him in the Council’s Constitution to adopt a protocol for remote meetings. The protocol is intended to replicate the Council’s normal meeting procedures as far as possible. It would be formally considered at the Annual Council Meeting on 20 May 2020.

When determining an application the voting would be by a roll call. Any Members who were not “in attendance” to hear the full presentation and debate on an agenda item are required to abstain from voting on that matter.

Members are “in attendance” provided that they can hear and be heard by the other participants.

3.    The Planning Lawyer made a statement regarding the status of the Oxford Local Plan 2036, the main points of which were:

Once adopted, the Oxford Local Plan 2016-2036 will replace the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016, the Core Strategy 2026 and the Sites and Housing Plan 2011-2026.

The current stage that the new Local Plan had reached was that following the examination and the consultation on the main modifications in late February to March 2020, the Inspectors’ report on the Local Plan was received on 18 May 2020. It had been published on the Council’s website and all people on the Council’s local plan database were being contacted directly.

The next stage was for the Local Plan to be adopted by the Council and a report would be going to Cabinet and then to Full Council on 8 June 2020 recommending that it be adopted. Further publicity would then be required to be given following adoption of the plan.

The weight to be given to the new local plan, in making decisions on planning applications, had been gradually increasing as each stage in the plan’s progress was reached.  It was for this reason that policies in the new plan have been referred to in committee reports on planning applications as the plan has moved towards adoption although the weight to be given has been assessed against paragraph 48 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Full weight cannot be given to them until adoption of the plan has taken place.

As the Inspectors’ report had now been received, and the new plan had reached an advanced stage, significant weight could now be given to the policies in the new plan which were referred to in each report.  The receipt of the Inspectors’ report did not, however, alter any of the recommendations in the reports on the agenda.

20/00352/FUL Cllr Tanner and Cllr Henwood declared that they had a significant interest in the application as trustees of the village hall and that in the interests of good governance they would therefore withdraw entirely from the meeting for the duration of the debate and decision on this application. Cllr Tanner withdrew at the start of the item and Cllr Henwood withdrew after making his statement to the meeting.

20/00335/FUL: Cllrs Taylor and Tanner each confirmed that although they had supported the call in of this application, they were approaching it with an open mind, would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision.

Proposal: Alterations and insertion of door to window and repairs to stone piers in north elevation. Formation of external access ramp, stairs and hardstanding to north.

Site address: Village Hall, Railway Lane, Oxford, OX4 4PY

Recommendation: East Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

1.     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 grant planning permission; and

2.     agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

Councillor Tanner left the remote meeting at the start of this item.

The Committee considered an application for planning permission for alterations and insertion of door to window and repairs to stone piers in north elevation; formation of external access ramp, stairs and hardstanding to north at Littlemore Village Hall, Railway Lane, Oxford, OX4 4PY.

The planning officer recommended and the Committee agreed:

·         a change to the published condition 3 to also require large scale joinery details of side lights, ramp and handrail, as well as for the door, to be submitted to and approved by the local planning authority prior to the installation of the door and the works carried out in accordance with the approved details only;

·         an informative advising the retention of the existing stone (which is to be removed as part of the works) to be stored safely and securely on site for use in future repairs of the building and walls.

Claire Drinkwater and Cllr David Henwood, trustees of the village hall, spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Henwood then withdrew from the meeting.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it. After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application with the changes to condition 3 and the informative as recommended above.

The East Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.    approve the application for the reasons given in the report; and

2.     subject to the required 5 planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report with amendments to condition 3 (large scale joinery details of side lights, ramp and handrail, as well as for the door, to be submitted to and approved by the local planning authority prior to the installation of the door and the works carried out in accordance with the approved details only) and an informative (retention of the existing stone removed as part of the works to be stored safely and securely on site for use in future repairs of the building and walls),

 grant planning permission; and

3.    delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

Proposal: Change of use from dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4).

Site address: 5 Coolidge Close, Oxford, OX3 7NP

Recommendation: East Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

1.     approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions and informatives set out in section 12 of the report and grant planning permission; and

2.     agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to finalise the recommended conditions and informatives as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary;

Councillor Tanner re- joined the remote meeting at the start of this item.

The Committee considered an application for the change of use from dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4) at 5 Coolidge Close, Oxford, OX3 7NP.

The planning officer recommended and the Committee agreed:

·         an amended condition 4 to read ‘Prior to the occupation of the dwelling as an HMO details of bin storage shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Prior to occupation the approved bin storage shall be provided on site in accordance with the approved details and retained for this purpose only’, and a consequential amendment to condition 2 to reflect that change.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it, and confirmed that the property was subject to separate complimentary controls under both the planning and the HMO licensing regimes. After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application with the changes to the conditions recommended above.

The East Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.    approve the application for the reasons given in the report; and

2.    subject to the required 5 planning conditions with an amended condition 4 (Prior to the occupation of the dwelling as an HMO details of bin storage shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Prior to occupation the approved bin storage shall be provided on site in accordance with the approved details and retained for this purpose only) and a consequential amendment to condition 2 to reflect that change, and 2 informatives, set out in section 12 of the report; and

grant planning permission; and

3.    delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to finalise the recommended conditions and informatives as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

Recommendation: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 4 March 2020 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 4 March 2020 as a true and accurate record, and noted that the Chair would sign these as such in due course.

Future meetings of the Committee are scheduled for:

These may be remote meetings: start times and arrangements will be confirmed nearer the meeting date.

The Committee noted the scheduled dates for future meetings and agreed that the remote meetings should start at 3pm.