Councillor Colin Cook was elected Chair for the Council year 2021-22.

Councillor Nigel Chapman was elected Chair for the Council year 2021-22.

General

Councillor Cook stated that as a Council appointed trustee for the Oxford Preservation Trust and as a member of the Oxford Civic Society, he had taken no part in those organisations’ discussions or decision making regarding the applications before the Committee.  He said that he was approaching all of the applications with an open mind, would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision.

Councillor Wade stated that as a member of the Oxford Civic Society, she had taken no part in those organisations’ discussions or decision making regarding the applications before the Committee and that she was approaching the applications with an open mind, would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision.

20/03034/FUL

Councillor Upton stated that as a Council appointed trustee for the Oxford Preservation Trust, she had been involved in discussions regarding the application before the Committee. Consequently she would leave the meeting and take no part in the determination of the application.

Councillor Clarkson stated that, as stated on her Register of Interests, she owned a property at 23A Mill Lane but that she did not consider it to be close enough to be impacted by the application and she had listened to the concerns of local residents when campaigning for the election. She said that she had not made her mind up on the matter, and approached it with an open mind.

Councillor Pegg stated that she worked for The Wildlife Trusts and that, whilst she was aware that BBOWT (Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust) had made a submission to the consultation, she had not been involved in that and she had not made her mind up on the matter, and approached it with an open mind.

Councillor Diggins stated that she worked for the MP for Oxford East and that she was aware of the application from that role and the recent election campaigning but she had not made her mind up on the matter, and approached it with an open mind.

Councillor Altaf-Khan stated that he knew the applicant as an acquaintance and also attended the same mosque but that he had not made his mind up on the matter, and approached it with an open mind.

Councillor Rehman stated that he knew the applicant as an acquaintance and also attended the same mosque but that he had not made his mind up on the matter, and approached it with an open mind.

21/00792/FUL

Cllr Chapman stated that although he had called in this application he had not made his mind up on the matter, and approached it with an open mind.

Councillor Upton left the meeting for the next item.

Site address:           Hill View Farm, Mill Lane, Marston, Oxford OX3 0QG         

Proposal:                Demolition of Existing Buildings and construction of 159 dwellings, associated roads and infrastructure, drainage and landscaping            

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 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; 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 Services considers reasonably necessary; and

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

The Planning Officer presented the report and referred to submissions received after the publication of the report made by the Oxford Preservation Trust, the Friends of Old Marston, CTC Consulting and BDB Pitmans.

In response to the letters received from CTC Consulting, officers provided further feedback to members of the committee relating to the three letters received, this covered the following matters:

Distance to facilities

·         Planning Officers had checked the relative distances involved as applied from the midpoint of the development and advised that the distance to local shops specified in point 10.95 in the report would be 1.8km as opposed to 1.6m as quoted and the distance to the bus stops in Elsfield Road referenced in point 10.96 should be revised from 620 metres to 820 metres.

·         However, any undercounting of distances to local services would have no bearing on the recommendations or analysis undertaken within the report.

·         The reference in Policy M3 of the Oxford Local Plan, which was the reference to distance being calculated from the ‘mid-point’ of the development.  This policy related to car parking standards. It was clearly acknowledged that a level of parking would be required and the reasons for this were outlined in the report, again this would be unaffected by an undercounting of distances to bus services or facilities.

·         The site was allocated for residential development in the adopted Oxford Local Plan which was an acknowledgement that the site was in a location which was, or could be made sustainable.

Parking provision

·         The parking provision was below the Councils maximum parking standards. It was acknowledged that residential development cannot always be sited within controlled parking zones or within 400 metres of a bus stop. This was why the Oxford Local Plan makes provision for parking on more peripheral sites. This did not mean that the site was ‘unsustainable’ under the provisions of the NPPF.

Bus Service

·         It was understood that the local Bus Company had indicated that it would not be possible to extend the 14a bus service to serve Mill Lane.

Parking and traffic

·         The submissions referenced a section of the subtext of Policy SP25 of the Oxford Local Plan which stated that localised improvements would be required to demonstrate that two vehicles could pass along Mill Lane. It was claimed that the presence of parked cars would not make this possible. Discussion with the Council’s Policy team had clarified that this wording in the preamble to Policy SP25 was added in relation to road widths and geometry in lower sections of Mill Lane, namely the “S” bend.   The upper sections of Mill Lane where on street parking occurs were wide enough for two vehicles to pass. The implementation of the Cycle Street and presence of parking controls would prevent informal parking.

Cycle Street

·         Claims that it would not be possible to implement the cycle street. This was not correct as provision would exist for this within the Section 106 agreement with on street parking controlled through a Traffic Regulation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Site address:                   75 Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 7SR

Proposal:                         Demolition of existing single storey garage. Erection of two storey side extension to create 2 x 2 bed flats. Provision of amenity space, bin and cycle stores (amended plans)

Reason at Committee:     The application was called in by Cllrs Chapman, Fry, Pressell, Humberstone, Munkonge, Taylor and Kennedy for reasons of parking, access and scale of development. Cllrs Taylor and Kennedy retired from their positions on 10 May 2021.   

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 subject to the required informatives set in section 13 of the report and grant planning permission

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.

The Committee considered an application (21/00792/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of the existing single storey garage and the erection of a two storey side extension to create 2 x 2 bed flats; provision of amenity space, bin and cycle stores.

The application had been “called in” for reasons of parking, access and scale of development.

The Planning Officer presented the report.

Andrew Smith, applicant spoke in favour of the application.

The Committee noted that the concerns over parking and access would be addressed by Condition 4: boundary treatment, Condition 7: removal of permitted development rights and Condition 8: Variation to Road Traffic Order. Planning Officers confirmed that the development would be excluded from eligibility for parking permits for the Lakes Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ).

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it.

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application.

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 the report and subject to the required informatives set in section 13 of the report and grant planning permission

2. 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.

Recommendation: to approve the minutes of the meetings of the East Area Planning Committee and West Area Planning Committee held in April 2021 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the East and West Planning Committee meetings held in April 2021 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 forthcoming applications.

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

The Committee noted the dates and times of future meetings.