Site Address: Land running from Churchill Hospital to John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way

Proposal: Installation of underground heating pipes, electrical cabling, communication cabling and associated works to allow the transfer of energy and high capacity/high speed data between the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals, together with the creation of temporary car parking and construction compounds for the duration of construction activities (part retrospective).

Officer recommendation: to approve planning permission for the application subject to the following conditions:

1.     Development begun within time limit.

2.     Develop in accordance with approved plans.

3.     Materials.

4.     Tree Protection Plan (TPP) 2.

5.     Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) 2.

6.     Monitoring and Supervision of Trees.

7.     De-compaction of RPAs.

8.     Noise mitigation measures.

9.     Temporary Car Park.

10.  JR Compound.

11.  Churchill Compound.

12.  Welfare Compound.

13.  Visitor Permits.

14.  Construction Traffic Management Plan.

15.  Hours of Work.

16.  Arch - Implementation of programme.

17.  Use of Pipework.

18.  Air Quality Measures.

The Committee considered an application for planning permission for the installation of underground heating pipes, electrical cabling, communication cabling and associated works to allow the transfer of energy and high capacity/high speed data between the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals, together with the creation of temporary car parking and construction compounds for the duration of construction activities (part retrospective) on land running from Churchill Hospital to John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way.

The Planning Officer reported that Thames water and the gas and electricity suppliers had made no comments.

Roz Smith, County Councillor, spoke about the application.

Paul Gredley, representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application, Mark Worcester and Simon Jones accompanied him to answer questions. He explained details of the scheme including arrangements for access to properties. He said that the company were keen to make a suitable contribution to the community and were open to community-led suggestions that provided benefit to the whole of the affected area. He said that VitalEnergi had carried out and documented a highway conditions survey (dilapidations survey) of the whole route including Lime Walk and would re-survey and document the route again before work started.  

The Committee asked questions of officers and the speakers.

Options for the wording of condition 14 - Construction Traffic Management Plan were proposed by officers and debated. The Committee agreed that this should be neither unduly prescriptive nor unduly open and that it should be capable of amendment with appropriate consultation but without delaying the project. They noted that a suitable plan had been submitted as part of the application documents but that the Highways Authority wished this to be capable of amendment as the works proceeded.

The Committee agreed to add or amend the following conditions:

C9: Temporary car park: provide suitable lighting – to ensure safety when using these after dark

C14: Construction management plan:     Condition to state The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the Construction Traffic Management Plan dated 1 July 2016 or such other construction traffic management plan as the local planning authority has agreed in writing.

Before agreeing changes, the local planning authority should consult the Committee Chair and the ward members in both affected wards. This allowed the plan to be amended speedily as required taking into account local needs and other works.

And also include in C14: Roadsweeping to be carried out as required by the Highways Authority – to ensure that road surfaces remain at the required standard.

Add C19: Applicant to negotiate or provide access to an electric vehicle charging point for residents who lose access to this during the works.

Add C20: Communication plan and sample leaflets to be submitted to the local planning authority, to give details of leaflets (including phone numbers) to be distributed to all properties and updates to the Hospital Trust’s project page, and any other communications planned.  This is to ensure that residents, visitors, and ward councillors can be kept informed of the work schedule, road closures, and mitigation.

The Committee agreed to add two informatives, accepting that these had no impact on the permission, for the avoidance of doubt and clarity as to the extent of the permission:

a)    Oxford City Council bears no responsibility for matters relating to the ownership of land.

b)    It should be noted that additional maintenance work may require additional planning permission if it constitutes and engineering operation.

The Committee resolved to approveplanning permission for application 16/01565/FUL subject to the following conditions set out in the officer’s report and as agreed at the meeting:

1.     Development begun within time limit.

2.     Develop in accordance with approved plans.

3.     Materials.

4.     Tree Protection Plan (TPP) 2.

5.     Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) 2.

6.     Monitoring and Supervision of Trees.

7.     De-compaction of RPAs.

8.     Noise mitigation measures.

9.     Temporary Car Park including providing suitable lighting.

10.  JR Compound.

11.  Churchill Compound.

12.  Welfare Compound.

13.  Visitor Permits.

14.   Construction Traffic Management Plan - The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the Construction Traffic Management Plan dated 1 July 2016 or such other construction traffic management plan as the local planning authority has agreed in writing (noting consultation with Chair and ward members).

Roadsweeping to be carried out as required by the Highways Authority – to ensure that road surfaces remain at the required standard.

15.  Hours of Work.

16.  Arch - Implementation of programme.

17.  Use of Pipework.

18.  Air Quality Measures.

19.  Applicant to negotiate or provide access to an electric vehicle charging point for residents who lose access to this during the works.

20.  Communication plan and sample leaflets to be submitted to the local planning authority, to give details of leaflets (including phone numbers) to be distributed to all properties and updates to the Hospital Trust’s project page, and any other communications planned. 

Informatives:

a)    Oxford City Council bears no responsibility for matters relating to the ownership of land.

b)    It should be noted that additional maintenance work may require additional planning permission if it constitutes and engineering operation.