Site Address: Land running from Churchill Hospital to John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way

Proposal: Installation of underground heating pipes, electrical cabling, communication cabling and associated works to allow the transfer of energy and high capacity/high speed data between the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals, together with the creation of temporary car parking and construction compounds for the duration of construction activities (part retrospective).

Officer recommendation: to approve planning permission for the application subject to the following conditions:

1.     Development begun within time limit.

2.     Develop in accordance with approved plans.

3.     Materials.

4.     Tree Protection Plan (TPP) 2.

5.     Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) 2.

6.     Monitoring and Supervision of Trees.

7.     De-compaction of RPAs.

8.     Noise mitigation measures.

9.     Temporary Car Park.

10.  JR Compound.

11.  Churchill Compound.

12.  Welfare Compound.

13.  Visitor Permits.

14.  Construction Traffic Management Plan.

15.  Hours of Work.

16.  Arch - Implementation of programme.

17.  Use of Pipework.

18.  Air Quality Measures.

The Committee considered an application for planning permission for the installation of underground heating pipes, electrical cabling, communication cabling and associated works to allow the transfer of energy and high capacity/high speed data between the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals, together with the creation of temporary car parking and construction compounds for the duration of construction activities (part retrospective) on land running from Churchill Hospital to John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way.

The Planning Officer reported that Thames water and the gas and electricity suppliers had made no comments.

Roz Smith, County Councillor, spoke about the application.

Paul Gredley, representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application, Mark Worcester and Simon Jones accompanied him to answer questions. He explained details of the scheme including arrangements for access to properties. He said that the company were keen to make a suitable contribution to the community and were open to community-led suggestions that provided benefit to the whole of the affected area. He said that VitalEnergi had carried out and documented a highway conditions survey (dilapidations survey) of the whole route including Lime Walk and would re-survey and document the route again before work started.  

The Committee asked questions of officers and the speakers.

Options for the wording of condition 14 - Construction Traffic Management Plan were proposed by officers and debated. The Committee agreed that this should be neither unduly prescriptive nor unduly open and that it should be capable of amendment with appropriate consultation but without delaying the project. They noted that a suitable plan had been submitted as part of the application documents but that the Highways Authority wished this to be capable of amendment as the works proceeded.

The Committee agreed to add or amend the following conditions:

C9: Temporary car park: provide suitable lighting – to ensure safety when using these after dark

C14: Construction management plan:     Condition to state The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the Construction Traffic Management Plan dated 1 July 2016 or such other construction traffic management plan as the local planning authority has agreed in writing.

Before agreeing changes, the local planning authority should consult the Committee Chair and the ward members in both affected wards. This allowed the plan to be amended speedily as required taking into account local needs and other works.

And also include in C14: Roadsweeping to be carried out as required by the Highways Authority – to ensure that road surfaces remain at the required standard.

Add C19: Applicant to negotiate or provide access to an electric vehicle charging point for residents who lose access to this during the works.

Add C20: Communication plan and sample leaflets to be submitted to the local planning authority, to give details of leaflets (including phone numbers) to be distributed to all properties and updates to the Hospital Trust’s project page, and any other communications planned.  This is to ensure that residents, visitors, and ward councillors can be kept informed of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30

Time: starting at 4.30pm and ending by 5.45pm.

Technical briefing for Oxford City Councillors on application reference 16/01565/FUL.

This is open to the public and you are welcome to attend. However this is not a meeting where anyone present can participate in the discussion.

There is no need to inform the Council that you will be attending.

The briefing will be given by council officers and representatives of the developers (Turleys and Vital Energi)

There will be an opportunity for councillors to ask questions.

If time permits there will be an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions but not to make statements.

Application details

The application and associated documents are published on the planning application pages of the Council’s website under ref 16/01565/FUL.

The proposal is for the installation of underground heating pipes, electrical cabling, communication cabling and associated works to allow the transfer of energy and high capacity/high speed data between the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals, together with the creation of temporary car parking and construction compounds for the duration of construction activities (part retrospective).

To see the application details on the Council’s website, follow the links on www.oxford.gov.uk to view and comment on planning applications then enter 16/01565/FUL in the search box.

East Area Planning Committee meeting

The application will be decided by the East Area Planning Committee at their meeting on Wednesday 7 September starting at 6pm.

This is a meeting in public, where the committee debate and make the decision and members of the public are allowed to attend and listen, but can only contribute during the public speaking time if registered to speak.

The officer’s report and the agenda including the procedure for the meeting, time for public speaking, and how to register to speak to the committee are now available on the Council’s website on the council and committee meetings pages at

http://mycouncil.oxford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=120&MId=4059