Site address:                  Lucy Faithfull House, 8 Speedwell Street, Oxford, OX1 1PX

Proposal:                        Full Planning Application for the erection of 36no. dwellings (C3 Use Class) including 50% affordable housing with associated access, parking and landscaping on the site of the former Lucy Faithfull House

Recommendation:

The West Area Planning Committee is recommended to:

1.     Delegate authority of the Head of Planning Services to approve the application following the expiry of the notice period of 21 days and completion of the appropriate certificate relating to the requisite serving of certificate B, as required under the Town and County Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015; for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report.

2.     Agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to:

·       Finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

·       Decide whether to refer the application back to the West Area Planning Committee following the expiry of the notice period, if considered reasonably necessary.

The Committee considered an application (19/03106/FUL) for planning permission for the erection of 36 dwellings (C3 Use Class) including 50% affordable housing with associated access, parking and landscaping on the site of the former Lucy Faithfull House.          

The Planning Officer presented the report and recommended the following updates:

•           A variation to Condition 5 to reduce the number of cycle parking spaces from 76 to 73

•           A new condition for the provision of electric charging points for the two disabled parking spaces

Alan Wylde, on behalf of the applicant Oxford City Housing Limited, spoke in favour of the application.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it. With regard to the height of the development the Committee was persuaded by the arguments put forward in the officer report and the provisions of the new Local Plan for greater variation of building height in the city centre. The Committee concluded that this was a good use of a city centre brownfield site and that the public benefits of the scheme, particularly in terms of the provision of 36 homes, 18 of which would be affordable would outweigh the less than substantial harm presented by the height of the development. 

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application subject to the inclusion of the new condition and the amendment to Condition 5 detailed above.

The West Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.         Delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to approve the application following the expiry of the notice period of 21 days and completion of the appropriate certificate as required under the Town and County Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015; for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report and subject to the inclusion of the new condition and the amendment to Condition 5; and

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

•           Finalise the recommended conditions as set out in the report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

•           Decide whether to refer the application back to the West Area Planning Committee following the expiry of the notice period, if considered reasonably necessary.

Councillors Clarkson and Hollingsworth rejoined the meeting at the conclusion of this item.