Site address: British Telecom, James Wolfe Road, OX4 2PY                 

Proposal: Demolition of existing buildings. Erection of new student accommodation comprising of 885 student rooms (of which 46 would be fully accessible), communal areas and amenity provision, associated cafe and shop, laundrettes, plant room and electricity substation, new vehicular and pedestrian access to James Wolfe Road and closure of existing, cycle parking, landscaping and new enclosures. Use of student accommodation outside term time by cultural and academic visitors and by conference and summer school delegates.          

Recommendation:

The East Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

(a) Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of this report and grant planning permission subject to:

1.   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 this report; and

(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;

2.   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 this 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, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services considers reasonably necessary; and

3.   Complete the Section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission.

Councillor Chapman arrived shortly after the start of this item and so took no part in the discussion or decision.

The Committee considered an application for the demolition of existing buildings; erection of new student accommodation comprising of 885 student rooms (of which 46 would be fully accessible), communal areas and amenity provision, associated cafe and shop, laundrettes, plant room and electricity substation; new vehicular and pedestrian access to James Wolfe Road and closure of existing; cycle parking; landscaping and new enclosures; and to permit use of student accommodation outside term time by cultural and academic visitors and by conference and summer school delegates at James Wolfe Road Oxford OX4 2PY.

The planning officer reported:

·         In para 10.78 the first clause (occupancy restriction) would be deleted as this duplicated condition 3.

·         Minor amendments would be made to the conditions to ensure that these were fully enforceable.

·         The controlled parking zone could not be funded via S106 or CIL contributions directly, and there was no way of securing this. Brookes had however volunteered to make a direct contribution to the costs. Brookes were also discussing options for improving cycleways.

County Councillor Liz Brighouse and Judith Harley (local resident) spoke against the application.

Henry Venners (agent) and Sue Holmes (Oxford Brookes University), and Chris Clifford (local resident) spoke in support of the application.                                

The Committee asked questions of the planning officers and the speakers in support, including but not restricted to the bus services, accommodation offered to 2^nd and 3^rd year students, and arrangements for the drop off and collection of students. They satisfied themselves that this would not result in a net loss of accommodation overall and that with careful management traffic problems at the start and end of terms could be avoided.

Councillors commented that they would like ward member to have sight of the construction travel and student management plans at each stage.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the Committee agreed to approve the application with an additional informative about the ‘considerate contractor’ scheme and amendments to conditions 19 (Construction travel management plan) 5 (student management plan) to include appropriate engagement with local councillors and conditions 16 and 17 (travel plans) to include periodic review.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required 33 planning conditions and 6 informatives set out in section 12 of this report and:

·           amendments to conditions to ensure these are enforceable;

·           amendments to conditions 5, and 19 to include appropriate engagement with local councillors;

·           amendments to conditions 16 and 17 to include periodic review

·           an additional informative about the ‘considerate contractor’ scheme

2.    grant planning permission subject to:

1.    The satisfactory completion of a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended to delete the first clause (occupancy restriction))  and other enabling powers to secure the planning obligations set out in the recommended heads of terms which are set out in this report; and

3.    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;

2.    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 this 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, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services considers reasonably necessary; and

3.    Complete the Section 106 legal agreement referred to in the report, omitting reference to occupation conditions, and issue the planning permission.