Site address:                      Site Of Blocks C F G H J K L And M, Clive Booth Hall, John Garne Way, Oxford, OX3 0FN

Proposal:                             Demolition of twelve buildings (including main accommodation Blocks C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M) and erection of twelve buildings to provide student accommodation, with ancillary communal and social facilities and associated administrative building (Class C2). Erection of children's nursery (Class E). Alterations to car parking, installation of cycle parking structures and associated landscaping works, including reorganisation of existing footpaths and cycle ways, drainage features and ancillary development. Installation of a waste compactor unit and alterations to an existing road to enable access.

Reason at Committee:      The application has been called in to Planning Review Committee by Councillors Upton, Rowley, Cook, Hollingsworth, Brown, Munkonge, Diggins, Fry, Pressell, Tidball, Aziz, Turner and Rehman.

Recommendation:

The Planning Review Committee is recommended to:

1.    Resolve to approve the application subject to:

·         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; and

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;

·         complete 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 Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary; and

·         issue the planning permission.

The Committee considered an application (21/01185/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of twelve buildings (including main accommodation Blocks C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M) and the erection of twelve buildings to provide student accommodation, with ancillary communal and social facilities and associated administrative building (Class C2) and the erection of children's nursery (Class E). Alterations to car parking, installation of cycle parking structures and associated landscaping works, including reorganisation of existing footpaths and cycle ways, drainage features and ancillary development. Installation of a waste compactor unit and alterations to an existing road to enable access.

The application was before the Committee as it had been called in by 13 councillors following the decision of the Oxford City Planning Committee to refuse the application on 12 October 2021.

The Planning Officers presented the report and referenced the following typographical amendments:

• Recommendation 1 – there was a sentence missing; the correct recommendation should read:

1.    Resolve to 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, subject to:

• • 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; and
• Para 2.3 – delete “Having voted to refuse the application,” so that; sentence reads “Members debated the reasons for refusal of the application”.
• Para 9.1 Human Rights Act – first sentence should read “in reaching a recommendation to approve this application…”

·         Para 10.1 Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1988 – final sentence should read “In reaching a recommendation to grant planning permission,”

The Planning Officer highlighted the main differences between the current application (21/01185/FUL) and the previous application (18/02587/FUL):

·         the reduction in the net gain of student beds from 615 to 573.

·         the reduction in the height of the flatted buildings on the western part of the site from 6/7 storeys to 5/6 storeys to reduce the bulk and mass of the development.

·         The movement of buildings away from the northern boundary of the site in the vicinity of the John Garne Way allotments and from the boundary with residential properties on Pullens Field

·         the reduction in the height of buildings 3 and 6 to two storeys nearest to the boundary with John Garne Way allotments to reduce overshadowing of the allotments.

·         changes to the footprint and position of the buildings to allow for the retention of a greater number of higher quality trees and to retain a greater number of trees, with the greatest life expectancy, especially those that are necessary around the boundary and for layering through the site in filtering views in the locality. 

·         a revised design approach to the building’s façade through a change in a materiality and greater articulation.

The Planning Officer advised the Committee that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8

Site address:                  Site Of Blocks C F G H J K L and M, Clive Booth Hall, John Garne Way, Oxford, OX3 0FN

Proposal:                        Demolition of twelve buildings (including main accommodation Blocks C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M) and erection of twelve buildings to provide student accommodation, with ancillary communal and social facilities and associated administrative building (Class C2). Erection of children's nursery (Class E). Alterations to car parking, installation of cycle parking structures and associated landscaping works, including reorganisation of existing footpaths and cycle ways, drainage features and ancillary development. Installation of a waste compactor unit and alterations to an existing road to enable access.    

Recommendation:

The Oxford City Planning Committee is recommended to:

1.     Resolve to approve the application subject to:

·       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; and

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;

·       complete 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 Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary; and

·       issue the planning permission

The Committee considered an application (21/01185/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of twelve buildings (including main accommodation Blocks C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M) and the erection of twelve buildings to provide student accommodation, with ancillary communal and social facilities and associated administrative building (Class C2) and the erection of children's nursery (Class E). Alterations to car parking, installation of cycle parking structures and associated landscaping works, including reorganisation of existing footpaths and cycle ways, drainage features and ancillary development. Installation of a waste compactor unit and alterations to an existing road to enable access.

The Planning Officer presented the report and advised that since the previous application was refused, the applicant has undergone extensive pre-application discussion with officers and carried out two rounds of public consultation with the local community. She highlighted the main differences between the current application and 18/02587/FUL which had been refused in June 2019 (as detailed in paragraphs 10.6 and 10.7 of the report):

·       the adoption of the Oxford Local Plan 2036 in June 2020 is a material consideration as it allocates the Clive Booth Student Village site for development, including student accommodation, under Policy SP17. 

·       the reduction in the net gain of student beds from 615 to 573.

·       the reduction in the height of the flatted buildings on the western part of the site from 6/7 storeys to 5/6 storeys.

·       The movement of buildings 3 and 5 away from the northern boundary of the site in the vicinity of John Garne Way allotments to reduce overshadowing in the winter months and early in the day at other times of the year.

·       the reduction in the height of buildings 3 and 6 to two storeys nearest to the boundary with John Garne Way allotments to reduce overshadowing of the allotments.

·       the movement of building 12 away from the boundary with residential properties on Pullens Field to improve amenity impact on Pullens Field.

·       changes to the footprint and position of the buildings to allow for the retention of a greater number of higher quality trees and to retain a greater number of trees, with the greatest life expectancy, especially those that are necessary around the boundary and for layering through the site in filtering views in the locality. 

·       a revised design approach to the building’s façade through a change in a materiality and greater articulation.

The Planning Officer reported the following typographical amendments:

·       Para 3.1 insert “or any other public realm scheme” after “21/01368/FUL and 21/01369/LBC”

·       Para 10.249 replace “qualify” with “quantify”

The Planning Officer concluded by reminding the Committee of the relevance of Policy H9 of the Oxford Local Plan.  This policy links the delivery of new/redeveloped and refurbished university academic facilities to the delivery of university provided residential accommodation, and effectively ensures that provision of academic/administrative facilities for Oxford Brookes does not result in an increase in student numbers or the number of students living in Oxford in non-university accommodation does not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35