There were no declarations of interest.

Proposal: Temporary extension of depot to provide additional storage space for up to 5 years, permanent reconfiguration and extension of car park, installation of cycle parking, widening of access and erection of fencing.

Site Address:  Oxford City Council Depot, Marsh Road, Oxford OX4 2HH

Officer recommendation:

This is an updated recommendation that takes account of the decision of East Area Planning Committee on 2nd August 2017. The East Area Planning Committee resolved that conditions 1, 5, 6, 7, 12 and a new condition on restoration were not to be discharged before consulting the Chair of East Area Planning Committee. These conditions are now listed as 1, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 14 in this report.

The Planning Review Committee is recommended to:

(a)   Approve the application for the reasons given in this report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 8 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; and

2.  to consult the Chair of East Area Planning Committee prior to the discharge of conditions 1, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 14 as set out in this report.

The Committee considered an application (17/00617/CT3) for planning permission for the temporary extension of the depot to provide additional storage space for up to 5 years, permanent reconfiguration and extension of car park, installation of cycle parking, widening of access and erection of fencing.

The Planning Officer presented the report and highlighted the developments since the East Area Planning Committee meeting. An additional five objections from members of the public had been submitted but the issues raised were not new and were addressed in the original report. 

The report before the Committee presented an updated recommendation that takes account of the decision of East Area Planning Committee on 2nd August 2017. The East Area Planning Committee resolved that conditions 1, 5, 6, 7, 12 and a new condition on restoration were not to be discharged before consulting the Chair of East Area Planning Committee. These conditions are now listed as 1, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 14 in this report.

The following spoke against the application:

  Judith Harley

• Rob Wells
• Patrick Lingwood
• Hazel Dawe
• Rachel Myers
• Judith Harley

The following spoke in favour of the application:

• Geoff Corps,  Shaun Hatton and Ian Bourton – OCC officers (applicant)
• Tom Edwards - Peter Brett Associates (agent)

The Committee invited the applicant to respond to the question posed by the public speaker about the merits of “just in time” delivery of disassembled recycling bins to the site.  Council officers (representing the applicant) explained that the recycling bins were already received disassembled and that they were delivered in bulk to optimise storage and delivery costs.  In view of the volume of bins required on a weekly basis (in excess of 100) a “just in time” system would increase delivery costs and the frequency of vehicle movements to and from the site.

The Committee discussion included, but was not limited to, the following points:

·         Condition 8 – the planning officer confirmed that the wording of this condition would be revised to make it clear that the Sustainable Drainage Maintenance Plan would be a temporary requirement in regard to the depot extension and a permanent requirement for the car park extension.

·         The County Council Waste & Minerals Plan mentioned by the public speakers had not been adopted and in any event would not cover the operational detail of a district council depot; the application before the Committee should be determined against relevant adopted policies.

·         Condition 12 – the planning officer confirmed that a wildflower meadow would be created at a new location within the park and that in the view of the Council’s Biodiversity officers this would provide an overall net gain to the habitat within the park.

·         Council officers (representing the applicant) advised that they were actively pursuing options to rationalise all the satellite sites across the city into a single depot site.  They believed that this would be achieved within the timescale of the temporary planning consent.

·         The planning officer advised that the details for the fencing would be controlled by Condition 21 and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

To approve as a true and accurate record the minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2017.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2017 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee noted the dates of future meetings.