Councillor Cook stated that as a Council appointed trustee for the Oxford Preservation Trust and as a member of the Oxford Civic Society, he had taken no part in those organisations’ discussions or decision making regarding the application before the Committee, that he was approaching the application with an open mind and would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision.

Councillor Wolff stated that Oxford North & West Green Party had submitted a comment on the application before the Committee. He was not a member of that group, had never attended a meeting of that group, and had not discussed the application with any member of it.  This matter has been discussed with the Monitoring Officer, who had cleared his participation at this meeting.  He had read the officer's report with an open mind, and approached the meeting in the same spirit.

Councillor Donnelly stated that  he was currently studying at St John’s College but had no pecuniary interest or influence  in the matter,  approached it with an open mind, would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision. The Monitoring officer confirmed that it had been previously determined that Councillors were not prohibited from taking part in planning decisions relating to  the University or its Colleges with which they had a connection with the proviso that they had no influence over or financial interest in the matter.  This was further reviewed and re-affirmed following a concern raised by an objector to the application.

Councillor Gotch stated that as a member of the Oxford Civic Society, he had taken no part in that organisation’s discussions or decision making regarding the application before the Committee. He had  been in receipt of evidence provided by local residents but had not attended any of their meetings to discuss the application which he approached with an open mind. 

Site address:           Oxford North (Northern Gateway) Land Adjacent To A44, A40, A34 And Wolvercote Roundabout, Northern By-Pass Road 

Proposal:                Hybrid planning application comprising:

(i) Outline application (with all matters reserved save for "access"), for the erection of up to 87,300 m2 (GIA) of employment space (Use Class B1), up to 550 m2 (GIA) of community space (Use Class D1), up to 2,500 m2 (GIA) of Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 floorspace, up to a 180 bedroom hotel (Use Class C1) and up to 480 residential units (Use Class C3), installation of an energy sharing loop, main vehicle access points from A40 and A44, link road between A40 and A44 through the site, pedestrian and cycle access points and routes, car and cycle parking, open space, landscaping and associated infrastructure works. Works to the A40 and A44 in the vicinity of the site.

(ii) Full application for part of Phase 1A comprising 15,850 m2 (GIA) of employment space (Use Class B1), installation of an energy sharing loop, access junctions from the A40 and A44 (temporary junction design on A44), construction of a link road between the A40 and A44, open space, landscaping, temporary car parking (for limited period), installation of cycle parking (some temporary for limited period), foul and surface water drainage, pedestrian and cycle links (some temporary for limited period) along with associated infrastructure works. Works to the A40 and A44 in the vicinity of the site.  (Amended plans and additional information received)                

Recommendation:

The West 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 appendix 5 of the report and grant planning permission, subject to:

·         the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers to secure the planning obligations set out in the recommended Heads of Terms which are set out in appendix 6 of the report;

·         the agreement of appropriate arrangements with Oxfordshire County Council and the applicant about the use of Community Infrastructure Levy payments; and

2.                      agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to:

·         finalise the recommended conditions as set out in appendix 5 of the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary;

·         finalise the recommended legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers as set out in this report, including refining, adding to, amending and/or deleting the obligations detailed in the Heads of Terms set out in the report (including to dovetail with and, where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary;

·         complete the Section 106 legal agreement referred to above; and

·         issue the planning permission.

The Committee considered a hybrid planning application comprising:

(i)              Outline application (with all matters reserved save for "access"), for the erection of up to 87,300 m2 (GIA) of employment space (Use Class B1), up to 550 m2 (GIA) of community space (Use Class D1), up to 2,500 m2 (GIA) of Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 floorspace, up to a 180 bedroom hotel (Use Class C1) and up to 480 residential units (Use Class C3), installation of an energy sharing loop, main vehicle access points from A40 and A44, link road between A40 and A44 through the site, pedestrian and cycle access points and routes, car and cycle parking, open space, landscaping and associated infrastructure works. Works to the A40 and A44 in the vicinity of the site;

(ii)             Full application for part of Phase 1A comprising 15,850 m2 (GIA) of employment space (Use Class B1), installation of an energy sharing loop, access junctions from the A40 and A44 (temporary junction design on A44), construction of a link road between the A40 and A44, open space, landscaping, temporary car parking (for limited period), installation of cycle parking (some temporary for limited period), foul and surface water drainage, pedestrian and cycle links (some temporary for limited period) along with associated infrastructure works. Works to the A40 and A44 in the vicinity of the site. (Amended plans and additional information received).

The Planning Officer introduced the report. She remindedthe Committee that  the application had been debated at the Committee meeting on 24 September.

The application was unusual in that it was a hybrid application. Approval of it would be in full for the detailed element and for the principle of development and access to the outline part of the site. If approved, detailed proposals for parts of the site would come forward as reserved matters applications in the usual way.

Northern Gateway was allocated as a strategic employment-led site in the Core Strategy. The Northern Gateway Area Action Plan (AAP) was subsequently developed and adopted by the Council in 2015. The AAP sets out the vision and policies for the area to support this strategic site coming forward.

Written representations had been circulated to Committee members after the addendum report was published.

The Summertown and St Margaret's Neighbourhood Forum, the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum and the Oxford Civic Society jointly raised various points of objection relating to the assessment of the development’s viability.

The Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum and the Wolvercote Commoners Committee jointly had raised an objection in relation to transport, as did County Cllr Buckley.

Many of these issues had already been covered in the officer’s reports to the Committee but the new points would now be addressed. 

Planning considerations

The 24 September Committee report, together with the addendum report for this Committee, set out all the material planning considerations and assessed the application against the local development plan and national planning policy.

This assessment weighed up the benefits and disbenefits of the scheme in terms  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

Recommendation: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 2019 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 2019 as a true and accurate record.

Items currently expected to be considered by the committee at future meetings are listed for information. This is not a definitive list and applications may be added or removed at any point. These are not for discussion at this meeting.

The Committee noted the list of forthcoming applications.

Future meetings of the Committee are scheduled at 6.00pm on:

The Committee noted the dates of future meetings.