Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

22/03076/FUL: 135-137 Botley Road, Oxford

 

 

Meeting: 12/12/2023 - Planning - Oxford City Planning Committee (Item 54)

54 22/03076/FUL: 135-137 Botley Road, Oxford pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Site Address:

135 - 137 Botley Road, Oxford

Proposal:

Demolition of existing buildings and replacement with new building comprising R&D, office and cafe space (Use Class E), including external lighting, hard and soft landscaping, ramped access, service bay, bin store, car and cycle parking, altered vehicular access onto Botley Road, pedestrian and cycle paths, means of enclosure, utilities, and associated works. (Amended plans and additional information)

Reason at Committee:

The application 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 the report and grant planning permission and 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.             delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Regulatory  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 and Regulatory Services considers reasonably necessary; and

·       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 Head of Planning and Regulatory Services considers reasonably necessary; and

·       on receipt of the completed section 106 legal agreement referred to above issue the planning permission.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an application (22/03076/FUL) for the demolition of existing buildings and replacement with new building comprising Research & Development, office and café space (Use Class E), including external lighting, hard and soft landscaping, ramped access, service bay, bin store, car and cycle parking, altered vehicular access onto Botley Road, pedestrian and cycle paths, means of enclosure, utilities, and associated works at 135 – 137 Botley Road, Oxford.

The Planning Officer gave a presentation and provided updates and also highlighted the following:

·        A correction was provided to paragraph 3.1 to reflect that the applicant was not now required to enter into a s278 agreement with the County Council.

 

·        In relation to paragraphs 10.15 and 10.50 which referred to the NPPF in relation to heritage assets, clarification was provided that the NPPF also stated that substantial harm to or loss of a scheduled ancient monument should be ‘wholly exceptional’.  For this application, the Castle Mound and the Tower referred to in the report comprised the scheduled ancient monument.

 

·        Confirmation was provided that the County Council had removed its objection in relation to the provision of cycle parking.

 

·        In relation to paragraph 10.85, clarification was provided that the transport assessment showed a net gain of six traffic movements in peak hours, which included servicing and delivery.

 

·        In relation to paragraph 10.157, a correction was provided that the first set of obligations related to the County Council, and the second set to the City Council.

 

·        Since publication of the report several additional representations had been received.  The points raised had largely been addressed in the officer’s report.  One additional matter had been raised which had related to a comment by the Oxford Design Review Panel about considering the application in the context of a wider masterplan.  The Planning Officer clarified that there was no wider masterplan for the area: as set out in the report there was a Technical Advice Note which gave guidance only on how future development of the Botley Road area might come forward.  One representation had also objected that proper public consultation had not taken place: the Planning Officer clarified that there had been three rounds of statutory advertisement in the newspaper and issuing of site notices as part of the application process.  The applicant had also undertaken an extensive consultation during the pre-application process which had included a drop of 1800 letters to properties surrounding the site, as well as engagement in the media and with ward councillors and other stakeholders.  Officers were satisfied that proper consultation had been undertaken.

 

·        The principle of the development was considered acceptable: it was in a highly sustainable location and would provide flexible floor space offering high quality research and development labs and office space creating a total of 620 jobs for the local economy and would help meet the high need and demand for research and development space for life sciences in Oxford, thus contributing to Oxford’s economic growth.  It would also provide a café and ground floor amenity which would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54