Site Address:        Oxford Business Centre, Osney Lane

Proposal:               Demolition of units 1-15 Oxford Business Centre and redevelopment including erection of purpose built student accommodation with small-scale A1, A3, A4 and B1 units, with associated landscaping.

Recommendation:

West Area Planning Committee is recommended to support the development in principle but defer the application in order to draw up a legal agreement in the terms outlined below, and delegate to officers the issuing of the notice of permission, subject to conditions on its completion:

1.            Development begun within time limit.

2.            Develop in accordance with approved plans.

3.            Material Samples in Conservation Area.

4.            Further Design Details of the junctions between the building and ground.

5.            Details of the means of enclosure for all boundaries of the site.

6.            Landscape Plan.

7.            Landscape Implementation.

8.            Hard Surface Design – Tree Roots.

9.            Underground Services – Tree Roots.

10.         Tree Protection Plan Implementation.

11.         Arboricultural Method Statement Implementation.

12.         Student Accommodation – Full Time Courses.

13.         Student Accommodation - No cars.

14.         Student Accommodation - Out of Term Use.

15.         Student Accommodation Management Plan.

16.         Archaeology – Written Scheme of Investigation.

17.         Archaeology – Method statement for demolition.

18.         Details of access road to rear of development including parking controls.

19.         Travel Plan – including Student Information Packs.

20.         Details of the Cycle Parking and Refuse Areas.

21.         Construction Environmental & Traffic Management Plan.

22.         Noise Levels as stated in Noise Assessment Report.

23.         Further details of sustainability measures.

24.         Surface Water Drainage Strategy.

25.         Biodiversity Measures / Enhancements.

26.         Biodiversity – Lighting Scheme.

27.         Contaminated Land Risk Assessment.

28.         Contaminated Land Validation Report.

29.         Contaminated Land – Watching Brief (Unsuspected contamination).

30.         Details of Fire Hydrants

Legal Agreement:

·                    The restriction on the occupancy of the student accommodation to students only

·                    Affordable Housing Contribution in accordance with Sites and Housing Plan Policy HP6 and the Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations SPD

·                    The delivery and implementation of the temporary access route on the eastern side of the proposed building, including the specification of this route in terms of materials, appearance, routing, and landscaping.  The details should be approved by the Local Planning Authority before development commences and implemented before occupation.

·                    Travel Plan Monitoring Fee

The Committee considered an application (16/02945/FUL) for the demolition of units 1-15 Oxford Business Centre and redevelopment including erection of purpose built student accommodation with small-scale A1, A3, A4 and B1 units, with associated landscaping at Oxford Business Centre, Osney Lane.

The Planning Officer presented the report. He said that this was the first application to come forward within the West End regeneration area in the city centre.  He confirmed that the application had been the subject of extensive pre-application discussions to ensure that it was consistent with the aims of the Oxpens Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document and would not compromise the wider objectives for the remainder of the regeneration site. 

Debbie Dance (Oxford Preservation Trust) spoke against the application. 

James Taylor (agent) spoke in support of the application.

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

·         The exact details for the new access road would evolve as part of the master planning for the development of the remainder of the Oxpens site – but the proposals in the current application were considered to be sufficiently flexible and were acceptable to the Highways Authority and other private landowners

·         It would be prudent to condition the control of unauthorised parking on the “shared space” road surface at the northern end of the new access road

·         That the overall principles for the development had been addressed in the Supplementary Planning Document

·         That the latest designs for the proposed development ensured that it was sympathetic to the current city skyline and townscape.

In reaching their decision, the Committee considered the officers report, presentation and the address of the public speakers.

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

The Committee resolved to support the development in principle but defer the application in order to draw up a legal agreement in the terms outlined below, and delegate to officers the issuing of the notice of permission, subject to the following (amended) conditions on its completion:

1.            Development begun within time limit.

2.            Develop in accordance with approved plans.

3.            Material Samples in Conservation Area.

4.            Further Design Details of the junctions between the building and ground.

5.            Details of the means of enclosure for all boundaries of the site.

6.            Landscape Plan.

7.            Landscape Implementation.

8.            Hard Surface Design – Tree Roots.

9.            Underground Services – Tree Roots.

10.         Tree Protection Plan Implementation.

11.         Arboricultural Method Statement Implementation.

12.         Student Accommodation – Full Time Courses.

13.         Student Accommodation - No cars.

14.         Student Accommodation - Out of Term Use.

15.         Student Accommodation Management Plan.

16.         Archaeology – Written Scheme of Investigation.

17.         Archaeology – Method statement for demolition.

18.         Details of access road to rear of development including parking controls for the access road and the “shared space” at the northern end of the access road.

19.         Travel Plan – including Student Information Packs.

20.         Details of the Cycle Parking and Refuse Areas.

21.         Construction Environmental & Traffic Management Plan.

22.         Noise Levels as stated in Noise Assessment Report.

23.         Further details of sustainability measures.

24.         Surface Water Drainage Strategy.

25.         Biodiversity Measures / Enhancements.

26.         Biodiversity – Lighting Scheme.

27.         Contaminated Land Risk Assessment.

28.         Contaminated Land Validation Report.

29.         Contaminated Land – Watching Brief (Unsuspected contamination).

30.         Details of Fire Hydrants

Legal Agreement:

·                    The restriction on the occupancy of the student accommodation to students only

·                    Affordable Housing Contribution in accordance with Sites and Housing Plan Policy HP6 and the Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations SPD

·                    The delivery and implementation of the temporary access route on the eastern side of the proposed building, including the specification of this route in terms of materials, appearance, routing, and landscaping.  The details should be approved by the Local Planning Authority and implemented before occupation.

·                    Travel Plan Monitoring Fee

Informative:

The applicant should seek to erect the 1.8m high trespass resistant fence in close proximity to the existing railway fence in order to minimise potential “littering” in the space between the two fences.

Councillor Tanner left the meeting at the end of this item.