Councillor Altaf-Khan proposed Councillor Upton as Chair; Councillor Rawle seconded.

Councillor Upton was elected Chair for the Council year 2026-27. 

Councillor Upton proposed Councillor Fouweather as Vice-Chair; Councillor Ottino seconded.

Councillor Fouweather was elected Vice-Chair for the Council year 2026-27.

Councillor Clarkson and Fouweather sent apologies.

Substitutes are shown above.

General

For 25/03195/FUL, Councillor Upton declared that she was a member of the Oxford Preservation Trust but had taken no part in any comments or discussions and attended the meeting with an open mind.

For 25/03195/FUL, Councillor Jupp declared that the Oxford Preservation Trust were his landlord but had no discussions and attended the meeting with an open mind.

Recommendation: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 April 2026 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 April 2026 as a true and accurate record.

Site address: Mansfield College, Mansfield Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Proposal: Demolition of the John Marsh Building, 6-8 Mansfield Road, Staircase E and the Garden Building and erection of a four storey building and basement to provide student accommodation and academic space. Two storey mews building to the north of the north range of buildings to provide plant and operational space and a three storey extension to the Champneys north range buildings to provide lift access. Removal of parking area and provision of a pocket park at the entrance with associated landscaping and hard surfacing works. Provision of cycle parking (amended plans and additional information) 

Reason at Committee: Major Development

RECOMMENDATION

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 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 this report; and 

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation to: 

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

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

Site address: Mansfield College, Mansfield Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Proposal: Demolition of the John Marsh Building, 6-8 Mansfield Road, Staircase E and the Garden Building and erection of a four storey building and basement to provide student accommodation and academic space. Two storey mews building to the north of the north range of buildings to provide plant and operational space and a three-storey extension to the Champneys north range buildings to provide lift access. Removal of parking area and provision of a pocket park at the entrance with associated landscaping and hard surfacing works. Provision of cycle parking (amended plans and additional information)

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved 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 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 this report; and

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation to:

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

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

·       complete a condition survey for Mansfield road to the CTMP condition

The Committee considered an application for the demolition of the John Marsh Building, 6-8 Mansfield Road, Staircase E and the Garden Building and erection of a four-storey building and basement to provide student accommodation and academic space. Two storey mews building to the north of the north range to provide plant and operational space and a three-storey extension to the Champneys north range buildings to provide lift access. Removal of parking area and provision of a pocket park at the entrance with associated landscaping and hard surfacing works. Provision of cycle parking (amended plans and additional information).

The Planning Officer gave a presentation outlining the details of the location and the proposal. This included site photos and existing and proposed elevations and plans:

·       The application was for the redevelopment at Mansfield College, comprising of the demolition of the existing south range, erection of a new south range for student accommodation and academic floor space.

·       The committee report stated that while the proposal was balanced in relation to the heritage harm and public benefits, the scheme overall was deemed acceptable and was in accordance with the relevant local plan policies and NPPF. The Planning Officer highlighted the public benefits of the scheme in detail, which included the long term future of the site and its listed buildings as a University College (its intended use), better reveal the civil war ramparts, improve accessibility around the site, provide a higher standard of accommodation, release an estimated 29 homes back to the rental market, reduce college carbon emissions, increase tree canopy cover and reduce parking and car movements in the city.

·       It was clarified that the 3 tests in relation to European protected species (bats) was not required as there was no evidence of them found on site.

·       A S106 is not required to secure the purchase of off-site Biodiversity Net Gain credits as this is adequately controlled by condition.

·       It was recommended that the Committee resolved to approve planning permission subject to the conditions and a legal agreement as set out in the officer's report which could be in the form of a section 106 or a unilateral undertaking directly with the county council.

Helen Mountfield, Rob Linnell and Dawn Brodie spoke in favour of the application. 

The Committee asked questions about the details of the application which were responded to by officers and the applicant. The Committee’s discussions included, but were not limited to:

·       Concerns were raised regarding the cycle spaces on site. The Planning Officer responded that the applicant worked closely with the college to include as many cycle spaces on site to support the number of students living there. The Officer noted that the requirement was for 294 cycle spaces and out of 294, they were able to accommodate 256 on site. The remaining spaces would be secured as on street parking through the county council.

·       Questions were raised around biodiversity net gain and how much would be offsite. The applicant responded that through the significant investment in landscaping, they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Site address: Mansfield College Mansfield Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3TF

Proposal: Internal and external alterations to the Champneys north range buildings to include creation of new openings and removal of bomb shelter. Three storey extension to the north elevation to provide lift access to the library (Amended description and revised plans). 

Reason at Committee: To be considered concurrently with a planning application that is required to be determined by planning committee. 

RECOMMENDATION

Oxford City Planning Committee?is recommended to:?

1.    Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the recommended listed building conditions set out in section 12 of this report, grant listed building consent and 

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation to: 

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

Site address: Mansfield College Mansfield Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3TF

Proposal: Internal and external alterations to the Champneys north range buildings to include creation of new openings and removal of bomb shelter. Three storey extension to the north elevation to provide lift access to the library (Amended description and revised plans).

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved to:

1.    Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the recommended listed building conditions set out in section 12 of this report, grant listed building consent and

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation to:

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

The Committee considered an application for internal and external alterations to the Grade II* listed North Range buildings by Basil Champneys to include the internal reorganisation of the modern kitchen link extension, construction of a lift extension, and the removal of a WWII bomb shelter and reinstatement of original ground floor windows.

The Heritage Officer gave a presentation outlining the details of the location and the proposal. This included site photos and existing and proposed elevations and plans:

·       The listed building consent application concerned Mansfield College and sought permission for a number of interventions to the Grade II* listed North Range in order to improve its functionality and support the wider proposals across the college that had just been considered under the associated planning application.

·       Specifically, consent was sought for the internal reorganisation of the existing modern kitchen link extension, which was constructed in 2014 and the removal of a World War II bomb shelter on the north elevation of the North Range to facilitate movement within the new mews area proposed as part of the wider scheme, the latter of which would enable the reinstatement of windows to the ground floor corridor that were part of the original design. This was in addition to the construction of a lift extension on the north elevation of the North Range. The lift extension also formed part of the associated planning application and would provide disabled access to the college library and a new librarians office.

·       Officers considered that the heritage benefit arising from the reinstatement of the elements of the listed buildings original design outweighed the harm resulting from the loss of the bomb shelter. Officers also considered that the less than substantial harm arising from the lift extension was clearly and convincingly justified, and outweighed, by the benefit of providing disabled access to the College’s library and reading rooms. Furthermore, it was concluded that the works proposed to the modern kitchen extension would not cause harm to the significance of the listed building. 

·       It was therefore recommended that the Committee resolve to grant listed building consent, subject to the conditions set out in section 12 of the officer’s report

The Committee had no further questions.

On being proposed, seconded, and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application for the reasons set out in the report and subject to conditions including the two additional conditions and a legal agreement.

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved to:

1.    Approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the recommended listed building conditions set out in section 12 of this report, grant listed building consent and

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation to:

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

Site address: Land At Watlington Road, Cowley, Oxford 

Proposal: Installation of an underground high voltage cable to support solar farm (South Oxfordshire Reference P23/S4132/FUL)

Reason at Committee: Major Development

RECOMMENDATION

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
2. Agree to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary

Site address: Land At Watlington Road, Cowley, Oxford

Proposal: Installation of an underground high voltage cable to support solar farm (South Oxfordshire Reference P23/S4132/FUL)

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved 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 Director of Planning and Regulation to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary

The Committee considered an application for the Installation of an underground high voltage cable to support solar farm (South Oxfordshire Reference P23/S4132/FUL)

The Planning Officer gave a presentation outlining the details of the location and the proposal. This included site photos and plans:

·       The application sought planning permission for the installation and operation of an underground high voltage electricity cable linking a consented solar farm to the local electrical distribution network. As the works constituted an engineering operation, they did not benefit from the same permitted development rights and therefore required planning permission.

·       No removal of hedgerows was proposed and a number of planning conditions were imposed to ensure appropriate environmental protections were secured throughout the construction and operational phases.

·       The cable was to be buried underground with the land fully reinstated following construction. As a result, the proposal would have generated only temporary construction related impacts, with negligible long-term effects on landscape character and ecology. Subject to standard construction controls and site reinstatement measure, the development was considered to accord with national and local planning policies supporting renewable energy infrastructure and the provision of necessary grid connections. 

The Committee asked questions about the details of the application which were responded to by the officers.

On being proposed, seconded, and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application for the reasons set out in the report and subject to conditions including the two additional conditions and a legal agreement.

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved 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 Director of Planning and Regulation to finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary

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 forthcoming applications.

Future meetings of the Committee are scheduled at 6.00pm on:

23 June 2026

14 July 2026

25 August 2026

The Committee noted the dates of future meetings.