Site address:        Land West Of Barton North Of A40 And South Of Bayswater Brook Northern By-Pass Road Oxford. 

Proposal:               Details of reserved matters (access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) for the community sports facilities comprising a relocated natural turf adult sports pitch, multi-use games arena, 3G pitch lit by 12 x 10m light columns and a natural turf pitch adjoining the community hub, along with associated car parking, fencing, and vehicular and pedestrian access together with locally equipped area of play.

Officer recommendation: to approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the following conditions:

1.         Tree Protection Plan (TPP) 2          

2.         Lighting management/times

3.         Watching brief - contamination      

4.         Verification report - contamination

5.         Drainage Strategy     

The Committee considered an application setting out details of reserved matters (access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) for the community sports facilities comprising a relocated natural turf adult sports pitch, multi-use games arena, 3G pitch lit by 12 x 10m light columns and a natural turf pitch adjoining the community hub, along with associated car parking, fencing, and vehicular and pedestrian access together with locally equipped area of play on Land West Of Barton North Of A40 And South Of Bayswater Brook Northern By-Pass Road Oxford. 

The Planning Officer reported receipt of a letter of objection just before the meeting.

Councillor Rowley, local ward councillor, spoke. He said that the fencing round the adult pitch must be adequate to prevent balls going into the road, play area and gardens. He was unsure that the proposed removable netting for use only during matches would be practical or adequate and asked for more comprehensive safety fencing.

Paul Comerford, the agent for the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

The Committee considered the risk to public safety of footballs straying from the pitch and whether this could be mitigated through condition. They decided that a condition requiring additional fencing was necessary: at a very minimum both ends of the pitch and the play area boundary must be adequately protected from stray footballs both during matches and during casual use. This must enhance the protection of users of the play area (LEAP) and the nearby road and residents of adjacent houses. Officers with the necessary competencies must carry out a full risk assessment. A suitable boundary treatment including fencing (removable or fixed), and storage and use of removable fencing, must be agreed with the planning authority and installed.

The Committee resolved to approve application 16/00067/RES subject to the following conditions:

1.            Tree Protection Plan (TPP) 2.

2.            Lighting management/times.

3.            Watching brief – contamination.

4.            Verification report – contamination.

5.            Drainage Strategy.

6.            Boundary treatment, to include adequate fencing to mitigate assessed risks from footballs, to be agreed and installed before use.