Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

22/02969/FUL: Littlemore House, Oxford Innovation Park, 33 Armstrong Road, Oxford OX4 4FY

 

 

Meeting: 18/04/2023 - Planning - Oxford City Planning Committee (Item 75)

75 22/02969/FUL: Littlemore House, 33 Armstrong Road and Plot 18 Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4FY pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Site Address:

Littlemore House, 33 Armstrong Road, And Plot 18 Oxford Science Park , Sanders Road, Oxford

Proposal:

Partial demolition of and alterations to Littlemore House. Erection of 1no. research and development building (Use Class E) at Littlemore House with ancillary accommodation, clinic, educational floorspace and restaurant and erection of 1 no. research and development building (Use Class E) and 1no. building to accommodate servicing plant and bicycle parking facilities at plot 18 of the Oxford Science Park. Erection of an elevated walkway, linking Littlemore House and plot 18 of the Oxford Science Park, new access arrangements, parking, landscaping, engineering and ground modelling works

Reason at Committee:

The proposal is a major development

Recommendation:

The Oxford City Planning Committee is recommended 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 this report and grant planning permission; and subject to:

·       the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement under section106 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 this report; and

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

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

·       respond to comments made by the Environment Agency, resolve any concerns or objections and finalise any recommended conditions;

·       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 this 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

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

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an application (22/02969/FUL) for partial demolition of and alterations to Littlemore House; erection of 1 no. research and development building (Use Class E) at Littlemore House with ancillary accommodation, clinic, educational floorspace and restaurant; erection of 1 no. research and development building (Use Class E) and 1 no. building to accommodate servicing plant and bicycle parking facilities at plot 18 of the Oxford Science Park; erection of an elevated walkway linking Littlemore House and plot 18 of the Oxford Science Park; and new access arrangements, parking, landscaping, engineering and ground modelling works at Littlemore House, 33 Armstrong Road and plot 18 of the Oxford Science Park.

The Planning Officer gave a presentation and highlighted the following:

·       The application site comprised two connecting parcels of land (Littlemore House and plot 18 of the Oxford Science Park) which were largely separated by woodland, a tributary of Littlemore Brook, and the Newman Place residential development.  A timber-clad elevated walkway was proposed to link the two buildings.

 

·       The proposal involved the partial demolition of Littlemore House (a non-designated heritage asset) and erection of a new building in quadrangle form connecting to the remaining Littlemore House building.  In addition to offices and laboratories, the building at Littlemore House would provide ancillary uses including a publicly accessible restaurant; accommodation for patients and visitors; a clinic; and educational floor space.  A new raised building at plot 18 would also provide laboratories.

 

·       The proposal included an extension of the existing footpath in order to link Armstrong Road to the Science Park and the future Cowley Branch Line station.  Access to the footpath would be available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

·       An ancillary building located beneath the publicly accessible footpath would provide a sub-station, CCTV equipment, waste store, cycle parking and shower facilities.  A plant room would be located below ground.

 

·       208 parking bays were proposed to be provided across both sites.  This would equate to provision for 35% of staff, and was considered acceptable by the Highways Authority.  Sufficient cycle parking would also be provided across both sites.

 

·       Solar panels would be mounted on the rooftop of Littlemore House, the elevated walkway and the building at plot 18.  Air-source heat pumps were proposed for heating and cooling of the building, and ground-source heat pumps would provide hot and chilled water.  The scheme would achieve a 41% reduction in carbon emissions at Littlemore House, and a 55% reduction at plot 18 when set against Part L of the 2021 Building Regulations.

 

·       The submitted drainage strategy proposed the use of blue rooves, permeable paving, extensive landscape features and an attenuation tank.  The Lead Local Flood Authority had expressed no objections to the proposed drainage strategy.

 

·       The route of the elevated walkway would avoid the root protection areas of the principal woodland trees, and the position of the plot 18 building allowed for the retention of most of the important boundary canopy cover.  A courtyard garden at Littlemore House would provide an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75