Site address:                    Former Murco Service Station, Between Towns Road, Oxford,

Proposal:                           Demolition of existing structures, and the erection of a part 3, 4 and 5 storey apartment block comprising 35 residential flats (Use Class C3) and 3 x 3 storey townhouses (Use Class C3) with associated access, parking and landscape arrangements.

Reason at Committee: The application has been called in to the Planning Review Committee by Councillors Henwood, Simmons, Wolff, Gant, Gotch, Malik, Altaf-Khan, Wade, Landell-Mills, Kennedy, Arshad, Curran and Azad for the following reasons:

·         The use of St Omer Road as the only means of accessing the site is inadequate as insufficient space is provided for vehicles to manoeuvre within the proposed turning head. This would impact on neighbour amenity and air quality.

·         The report to members did not address overshadowing of neighbouring properties and the three townhouses. 

·         Insufficient parking is provided for visitors and service vehicles.

·         Insufficient provision of larger family dwellings within the development and the proposals would not comply with the target housing mix identified within the Councils Balance of Dwellings Supplementary Planning Document. 

Recommendation:

The Planning Review Committee is recommended to:

1.    approve the application for the reasons given in the reports and subject to the required planning conditions set out in the reports and grant planning permission; and

2.    agree to delegate authority to the Acting Head of Planning Services to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the reports including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

The Committee considered an application (18/03287/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of existing structures, and the erection of a part 3, 4 and 5 storey apartment block comprising 35 residential flats (Use Class C3) and 3 x 3 storey townhouses (Use Class C3) with associated access, parking and landscape arrangements.

The application had been called in to the Planning Review Committee by Councillors Henwood, Simmons, Wolff, Gant, Gotch, Malik, Altaf-Khan, Wade, Landell-Mills, Kennedy, Arshad, Curran and Azad for the following reasons:

•     The use of St Omer Road as the only means of accessing the site is inadequate as insufficient space is provided for vehicles to manoeuvre within the proposed turning head. This would impact on neighbour amenity and air quality.

•     The report to members did not address overshadowing of neighbouring properties and the three townhouses. 

•     Insufficient parking is provided for visitors and service vehicles.

•     Insufficient provision of larger family dwellings within the development and the proposals would not comply with the target housing mix identified within the Council’s Balance of Dwellings Supplementary Planning Document. 

The Planning Officer presented the reports and referred the Committee to the relevant paragraphs in the officer reports and to paragraph 123 of the NPPF which addressed the issues raised by the call-in. In summary he confirmed that planning officers considered that the proposed development makes best use of the site, given its highly sustainable location in a primary district centre, and that the development is fundamentally in line with the requirements of the NPPF and the Emerging Local Plan.

Councillor David Henwood (local ward councillor) and Mark Watson (local resident) spoke against the application. 

Alan Wylde (representing Oxford City Council) as applicant spoke in favour of the application and he and Simon Lea (architect) answered questions from the Committee.

The Committee discussion focussed on the issues identified in the call-in specifically with regard to parking provision, emergency and service vehicle access and the proposed balance of dwellings.  

The Committee agreed to include an additional condition to make provision for electric charging points in association with the disabled parking bays.

The Committee recommended that the provision of electrical charging points for bikes and parking for cargo-bikes should be included as part of recommended Condition 24 (details of cycle parking).

The Committee noted that the applicant had indicated a willingness to explore the scope for service/delivery vehicle parking within the development and that the plans for a funded CPZ were expected to be implemented in 2020.  The Committee considered that the point relating to the scope for service/delivery vehicle parking should be formally included as an informative to the planning approval.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it.

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application.

The Planning Review Committee resolved to:

1.   Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the 29 required planning conditions set out in section 7 of the report, a further condition to provide electric charging points for disabled parking and the informative detailed above;

2.   Grant planning permission; and

3.   Delegate authority to the Acting Head of Planning Services to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report and the additional condition referred to above including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.