This application was approved at the West Area Planning Committee on 12 April 2016 and subsequently called in by Councillors Benjamin, Wade, 

Hollingsworth, Simmons, Brandt, Pressel, Wolff, Tarver, Thomas, Hollick, Wilkinson and Brown for the following reasons:

·         to consider the wider impacts on both the heritage and the local economy because of the visitors the building attracts. There are also public concerns about the way the decision was conducted.

·         this extension is inappropriate to a Grade II listed building.

·         concerns about a lack of proper process - a local resident advises that comments by herself and others were sent as requested by The Queen's College to a retired member of OCC staff but do not appear to have been passed on to the College itself.

·         impact on a listed building

·         The Queens College objected to the development on the neighbouring car park on grounds that it would obscure views of the iconic Stirling building, but this proposed block-like structure would be considerably closer!  It is a sensitive decision on a major development proposal that should consider the wider impacts, and it is important that officers test their recommendations thoroughly with elected members.

Application Number:         15/03643/FUL

Proposal:            Refurbishment and extension of existing student accommodation building to provide 25 additional study bedrooms, conference and support facilities.

Site Address:     Florey Building 23-24 St Clement's Street (site plan: appendix 1)

Committee Decision: The Committee resolved to grant planning permission for application 15/03643/FUL subject to the following conditions including those agreed at the meeting.

Conditions:

1.         Development begun within time limit.

2.         Develop in accordance with approved plans.

3.         Material Samples in Conservation Area.

4.         Landscape Plan.

5.         Landscape Implementation.

6.         Hard Surface Design – Tree Roots.

7.         Underground Services – Tree Roots.

8.         Tree Protection Plan Implementation.

9.         Arboricultural Method Statement Implementation.

10.      Student Accommodation – Full Time Courses.

11.      Student Accommodation - No cars.

12.      Student Accommodation - Out of Term Use.

13.      Management Plan – including Service Management and Traffic Management Strategy and for the York Place entrance a restriction on delivery hours

14.      Archaeology – WSI.

15.      Travel Plan.

16.      Student Travel Information Packs.

17.      Cycle and Refuse Areas Provided.

18.      Construction Traffic Management Plan.

19.      Noise Levels as stated in Noise Assessment Report.

20.      Air conditioning plant.

21.      Scheme of extraction / treating cooking odours from kitchen.

22.      Sustainability Statement Implementation

23.      Flood Risk Assessment Recommendation Implementation.

24.      Drainage Strategy.

25.      Biodiversity Measures / Enhancements.

26.      Development of a Servicing Plan for all uses.

27.      Contaminated Land Risk Assessment.

28.      Scheme to provide noise insulation to reduce noise breakout.

The Committee considered an application for the refurbishment and extension of existing student accommodation building to provide 25 additional study bedrooms, conference and support facilities at the Florey Building, 23-24 St Clement's Street (15/03643/FUL).

The Committee noted that this application was approved at the West Area Planning Committee on 12 April 2016 and that it was subsequently called in on the grounds that the decision by the West Area Planning Committee needs to be revisited because of concerns that the proposed two-storey extension would have an adverse impact upon the listed building.

The Planning Officer advised that the parallel application (15/03644/LBC - listed building consent) had been approved by the West Area Planning Committee on 12 April 2016 but that this had not been called-in. The Committee noted that their deliberations were limited to the full planning application.

The Planning Officer presented the report and made the following points for clarification:

·         The consultation for this application had been conducted in accordance with normal procedures

·         The Environment Agency had confirmed that they had no objections to the application

·         Queen’s College had confirmed that the annex would not be used for dances and concerns about noise would be mitigated by condition 19

·         The Angel & Greyhound Meadow is currently accessed via a bridge from St Clements Car Park and this would be unchanged by the proposed development

Ms Kim Sanders-Fisher (Anchor Court resident) and Dr Peter Collins (representing York Place Residents Association) spoke against the application.

Mr Andrew Timms (Bursar Queen’s College) and Mr Amir Ramezani (Architect) spoke in support of the application.  Ms Fiona Lamb (Architect) was also present to answer questions from the Committee.

Discussion

The Committee asked questions of the officers and speakers to clarify a number of matters including but not limited to the following:

The legal adviser informed the Committee that the York Place Residents Association claim to a right of access across the strip of land that lies adjacent to 8 York Place and runs down the river did not constitute a material consideration for the determination of this application.

The Committee acknowledged residents’ concerns about emergency evacuation measures but noted that the Fire Authority, as a statutory consultee, had not raised any objections to the proposed development in that regard.

The Bursar of Queen’s College confirmed that there would be a year-round resident care-taker on site.

The Committee noted that any removal and disposal of contaminated waste from the development site would be subject to other statutory controls.

Decision

A motion to grant planning permission in determination of the application subject to the conditions detailed below as recommended in the officer’s report was carried unanimously on being put to the vote.

The Committee resolved to GRANT application (15/03643/FUL) subject to the following conditions:

Conditions:

1.         Development begun within time limit

2.         Develop in accordance with approved plans

3.         Material Samples in Conservation Area

4.         Landscape Plan

5.         Landscape Implementation

6.         Hard Surface Design – Tree Roots

7.         Underground Services – Tree Roots

8.         Tree Protection Plan Implementation

9.         Arboricultural Method Statement Implementation

10.       Student Accommodation – Full Time Courses

11.      Student Accommodation - No cars

12.      Student Accommodation - Out of Term Use

13.      Management Plan – including Service Management and Traffic Management Strategy including a restriction on delivery hours at the York Place access

14.      Archaeology - WSI

15.      Travel Plan

16.      Student Travel Information Packs

17.      Cycle and Refuse Areas Provided

18.      Construction Traffic Management Plan

19.      Noise Levels as stated in Noise Assessment Report

20.      Air conditioning plant

21.      Scheme of extraction / treating cooking odours from kitchen

22.      Sustainability Statement Implementation

23.      Flood Risk Assessment Recommendation Implementation

24.      Drainage Strategy

25.      Biodiversity Measures / Enhancements

26.      Development of a Servicing Plan for all uses

27.      Contaminated Land Risk Assessment

28.      Scheme to provide noise insulation to reduce noise breakout