Application 18/03385/FUL

Councillor Cook - as a Council appointed trustee for Oxford Preservation Trust and a member of the Oxford Civic Society stated that he had taken no part in any discussions or decision making by those organisations that may have taken place regarding these applications.

Councillor Lygo stated that in his capacity as County Councillor he attended Old Marston Parish Council and was aware that they had discussed the application, but he had had no involvement.

Councillors Chapman and Clarkson had given apologies for this meeting as they were precluded from taking part in the only application on the agenda because of their role as part of the shareholder group of the Oxford City Housing Limited company which could give rise to a public perception of bias should they take part in the decision.

Councillor Simm took part in the decision as she had stepped down from her temporary role as part of the shareholder group and had taken no part in the shareholders’ decisions.

Site Address:  Cumberlege Close, Oxford, OX3 0QW,  – see Appendix 1 for site plan

Proposal:  Erection of 9no. residential dwellings (C3 Use Class) comprising 2no. 2-bed, 4no. 3-bed and 3no. 4-bed dwellings with associated access, parking and landscape arrangements.

Recommendation:  East Area 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.

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Acting 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 Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary.

The Committee considered an application for planning permission for the erection of 9 residential dwellings (C3 Use Class) comprising 2x 2-bed, 4x 3-bed and 3x 4-bed dwellings with associated access, parking and landscape arrangements at Cumberlege Close, Marston, Oxford, OX3 0QW.

The Planning Officer proposed a change to the wording of the recommendation in the report to allow officers flexibility over the means of ensuring the delivery of the whole affordable housing allocation spread between this application (for 9 affordable units) and application 18/03384/FUL at Elsfield Hall providing 26 flats (9 of which would be affordable) to provide an overall allocation of 18 affordable units out of a total of 35 units. As Oxford City Council owns the land where the development would be sited, further consideration was required as to the best means of securing affordable housing across both sites; by way of conditions and/or a legal agreement.

The Committee agreed to change the resolution to that set out in the decision below. They agreed that the planning officer should amend conditions (condition 2) to secure the electric charging points (shown on section 8.0 of the submitted 20/02/19 Design and Access Statement 8.0), and to secure inclusion of swift nesting bricks in the design.

Lila Harcacz (representing the applicant) spoke in support of the application and she and Victoria Harrison (architect) and James Cogan (planning consultant) answered questions from the committee.

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote the Committee agreed to approve the application and the officer’s revised recommendation, and including in condition 2 specific provision electric car charging points (as shown in the design and access statement plans) and of swift nesting bricks.

The East Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.         approve application 18/0385/FUL for the reasons given in the report and subject to the 17 required planning conditions set out in section 12 of this report (amending Condition 2 to specify provision of swift nesting bricks and electric car charging points) and grant planning permission; and

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

a)     if required, to decide the best means of controlling the provision of affordable housing across both this site and the site at Elsfield Hall (18/03384/FUL) whether though a planning condition and/or a legal agreement made pursuant to section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers; and

b)     to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Acting Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary and if necessary, the terms of any legal agreement referred to above.

Recommendation: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th February 2019 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2019 as a true and accurate record.

Items currently expected to be considered by the committee at future meetings are listed for information. This is not a definitive list and applications may be added or removed at any point. These are not for discussion at this meeting.

The Committee noted the list of applications.

Future meetings of the Committee are scheduled at 6.00pm on

The Committee noted the meeting dates.