Site address:             Old Power Station, 17 Russell Street, Oxford, OX2 0AR

Proposal:                  The conversion, redevelopment and extension of Osney Power Station to a Centre of Executive Education to be run by Said Business School.                  

Recommendation:

The West Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

1.     approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to:

a)    the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report and grant planning permission and subject to:

b)    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 the report;

c)     and grant planning permission; 

2.     agree to delegate authority to the Acting Head of Planning Services to:

a)    finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary; and

b)    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 the report (including to dovetail with and where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary; and

c)     complete the section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission.

The Committee considered an application (18/02982/FUL) for planning permission for the conversion, redevelopment and extension of Osney Power Station to a Centre of Executive Education to be run by Said Business School.            

The Planning Officer presented the report and gave the following verbal updates:

·       Condition 2  - should start with “Subject to condition 34”;

·       Condition 34 - at the end should state “The approved plan shall be implemented before first occupation”;

·       Conditions 19, 20 and 21 – the correct reference is to policy HE 2 of Local Plan;

·       Condition 35 –  should also include restriction for any informal parking

The Planning Officer referred the Committee to paragraph 10.9 of the report which addressed the Committee’s previous concerns about the number of Oxford University students living outside of University accommodation. The City Council had expected to receive a final figure by 6 September from both universities (Oxford & Brookes) but this response had not been received. However the applicant had stated that the updated number of students living outside of the university was 2703 not 2732 as stated in the report. Planning officers had not officially verified the figure but were satisfied that it was sufficiently below 3000.   

Debbie Dance (Oxford Preservation Trust) and Sophie Scott (local resident) spoke against the application. 

Sara Beck (on behalf of the applicant) and Robert Linnell, (Savills) spoke in favour of the application. Other representatives were present to answer questions from the Committee.

The Committee asked questions of the officers and public speakers about the details of the application and noted that the proposed development was now fully compliant with the 45-degree line guidance and with policy HP14 of the Sites and Housing Plan and the equivalent policies in the emerging draft Local Plan 2016-2036.  The Committee were satisfied with the advice from the Urban Design and Conservation Officer and the silence of Historic England on the subject that the proposed alterations and additions to the existing Power Station building would not result in any harm to the significance of the Osney Town Conservation Area, Central Conservation Area including important views of and from the city.

The Committee discussion concluded with a suggestion that the applicant might consider the scope to increase the provision for cycle storage in line with the requirements in the emerging draft Local Plan 2016-2036.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it and were satisfied that their previous concerns about the development had been addressed.

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

On being put to the vote the Committee agreed the resolution as set out below.

The West Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.     approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to:

·       the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report and grant planning permission and subject to:

·       the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement under section 106 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30

Site address:                   The Old Power Station, 17 Russell Street, Oxford, OX2 0AR             

Proposal:                        The conversion, redevelopment and extension of Osney Power Station to a Centre of Executive Education to be run by Said Business School.                 

Recommendation:

The West Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

1)    approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to

a)    the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report and grant planning permission and subject to:

b)    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 the report;

c)     and grant planning permission; 

2)    agree to delegate authority to the Acting Head of Planning Services to:

a)    finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary; and

b)    finalise the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers as set out in the report, including refining, adding to, amending and/or deleting the obligations detailed in the heads of terms set out in the report (including to dovetail with and where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary; and

c)     complete the section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission.

Councillor Iley-Williamson arrived during the Planning Officer’s presentation and consequently took no part in the deliberation or voting on this item.

The Committee considered an application (18/02982/FUL) for planning permission for the conversion, redevelopment and extension of Osney Power Station to a Centre of Executive Education to be run by Said Business School.

The Planning Officer presented the report.

·         Para 2.2, page 12: insert ‘1904’ after “dating from…”

·         Para 6.2, page 16:  for clarification the meaning of the final two sentences is that smaller or larger groups can be accommodated between the expected ranges of 30 - 40 but with a maximum capacity of 50 people.

·         Para 6.6, page 18: refers to an operational space for services which would be for the servicing of the building as only 2 disabled spaces are proposed. The agent has indicated that the applicant is willing to have a maximum dwell time for service vehicles.  This would be dealt with as part of the existing condition 24. This is alluded to in paragraph 10.119.

·         Para 10.24, page 32: delete “streel”, insert “steel”.

Ann Sherry, local resident, spoke against the application. 

Peter Turfano, Said Business School spoke in favour of the application and he and Robert Linnell (agent) answered questions from the committee.

The Committee discussion focussed on matters relating to the impact of the development on the neighbouring properties and the rationale for the size of the development and questioned whether it would not be viable at a reduced size.

The Committee considered the merits of a deferral following advice from Planning Officers.

On being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee resolved to defer consideration of application 18/02982/FUL for the following reasons:

To enable further details to be provided by the applicant on the viability of the proposal and evidence to support the assertion by the applicant that any reduction in the scale of the development would make it unviable.