Site Address:        

Northgate House, 13 - 20 Cornmarket Street, Oxford, OX1 3HE

Proposal:

Application for planning permission for the demolition of the existing building to ground level and the erection of a replacement building to provide replacement commercial units on the basement, ground and first floors, and new teaching facilities, ancillary accommodation and student fellows rooms on the upper floors for Jesus College. (Amended Plans)

Reason at Committee:

This application was determined at the West Area Planning Committee meeting on 10 July 2018. That decision has been called-in to the Planning Review Committee by Councillors Harris, Gant, Goff, Goddard, Simmons, Bely-Summers, Haines, Upton, Gotch, Pressel, Rowley, Kennedy, Taylor, Altaf-Khan, and Henwood.

Recommendation:

The Planning Review 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 7 of this report and grant planning permission:

(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.

The Committee considered an application for planning permission for the demolition of the existing building to ground level and the erection of a replacement building to provide replacement commercial units on the basement, ground and first floors, and new teaching facilities, ancillary accommodation and student fellows rooms on the upper floors for Jesus College (amended plans) at Northgate House, 13 - 20 Cornmarket Street, Oxford, OX1 3HE.

This application had been called in to the Planning Review Committee for reconsideration following the decision at West Area Planning Committee on 10 July 2018.

The Planning Officer introduced the report to the committee including the recommendations and conditions and the report to the West Area Planning Committee. He reported one additional representation repeating earlier points.

He presented an additional slide showing the heights of towers and high buildings in the city centre compared to the proposed 21.3m high gatehouse element of the application.

He recommended and the Committee agreed an additional condition (as recommended by West Area Planning Committee) to seek active retail frontages onto Market Street.

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt (Principal, Jesus College), Stuart Cade (Architect), spoke in favour of the application. David Stevenson (Jesus College) and Neil Warner (JPPC) attended to respond to questions.

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

·         There was general support for all elements of the scheme in particular the improvements to the entrance to Market Street, the change to the relationship with Jesus College, and the improvements to the public realm.

·         Some Members of the Committee expressed concern about the height and bulkiness of the gatehouse tower and its impact on both the street scene and views from high vantage points. There was a view that the tower element should be reduced in height.

·         There was concern about the breach of current policy relating to a maximum building height of 18.2m apart from minor elements. The planning officer explained that this was not an absolute maximum as some elements of a development could exceed this if it was appropriate, and the emerging Local Plan was considering how to allow for taller elements of buildings where this positively enhanced the skyline without diminishing the existing views.

·         The Committee noted the buildings in the city centre which exceeded the 18.2m height and in some cases exceeded the gatehouse tower height. The removal of the gatehouse tower could not be done in isolation as it would fundamentally change the overall design of the building and its function as a focal point linking the college and the new building and as a partially public space and viewing point. The tower broke up the bulk of the building and provided a suitable focal point.

In reaching a decision the Committee considered all the information put before it including the officer’s original and supplementary reports and presentation, the representations made by speakers, and the answers to questions.

On being put to a vote a majority of the Committee agreed with the officer recommendation as set out  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4

Site address: Northgate House, 13 - 20 Cornmarket Street, Oxford, OX1 3HE

Proposal: Application for planning permission for the demolition of the existing building to ground level and the erection of a replacement building to provide replacement commercial units on the basement, ground and first floors, and new teaching facilities, ancillary accommodation and student fellows rooms on the upper floors for Jesus College. (Amended Plans)                               

Recommendation:

The West 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:

(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.

The Committee considered an application (18/00258/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of the existing building to ground level and the erection of a replacement building to provide replacement commercial units on the basement, ground and first floors, and new teaching facilities, ancillary accommodation and student fellows rooms on the upper floors for Jesus College. (Amended Plans)

The Planning Officer introduced the report, noting the addition of two additional  conditions (to seek a phasing and materials plan for the surfacing works to Market Street and to seek active retail frontages onto Market Street ) and the correction of the reference to Section 12 in recommendation 1.1 (a) which should read Section 11.

The proposal provided an excellent opportunity to reinvigorate that part of Market Street and Cornmarket.  The current building gave a ‘back of house’ sense onto Market Street.  The proposals would see a new principal entrance to the college from Market Street and  open up the public realm. The report set out the reasons for the officer recommendation, the principal ones of which were:

• There was no material reason to object
• The deployment of the  commercial element was flexible and would contribute to the need to re-energise Cornmarket following the Westgate development
• The scheme  represented an important opportunity to redevelop the area and had the potential to act as a positive catalyst for other users in the immediate vicinity
• The expansion of the public realm
• The development of a ‘front of house’ sense in Market Street.
• The scheme would expose a grade one listed building which is currently hidden from view
• The scheme had been subject to extensive pre-application work and consultation, all views from which had been taken into account. This included positive support from both Historic England and Oxford Civic Society and two sessions with the Design Review Panel, both before and after publication of proposals.
• All anticipated views of the new building fitted well into the Cornmarket Street scene and represented a significant improvement in the case of Market Street.
• The “Gatehouse” tower element of the scheme had been subject to revision following the pre-application phase, notably a reduction in height to 21.3 m and some changes in design detail . This was above the City’s benchmark of 18.2 m for new build but  this was not an absolute limit . All cases had to be judged on their merits and assessments made of the harm that would be caused by height. Support for proposals in excess of the benchmark was not given lightly. In this case the anticipated skyline views from a variety of directions were considered improved by the scheme.

Debbie Dance, representing the Oxford Presentation Trust spoke against the application. 

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt (Jesus College), Stuart Cade (Architect), and Simon Sharp (JPPC) spoke in favour of the application. David Stevenson (Jesus College) attended to respond to questions

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

·         The extent to which the public had engaged with the various consultation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19