Site address:           265-279 Iffley Road And Garages, Percy Street, OX4 4AH

Proposal:                 Re-development of the application site to include the demolition of existing buildings, erection of buildings to provide student accommodation (117 student rooms) and ancillary facilities, 11 x self-contained flats, a single storey garden room accommodating flexible space for use as student common room/teaching/lecturing space, 150sqm GIA for employment uses (Use Class B1), and associated landscaping and infrastructure. (Amended plans)

Officer recommendation:

The West Area Planning Committee is recommended to GRANT planning permission for the reasons in the officer’s report and subject to and including the following conditions and the satisfactory completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure a contribution to affordable housing and to delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Regulatory Services to issue the permission.

Conditions

1.         Development begun within time limit        

2.         Develop in accordance with approved plans       

3.         Sample materials and panels         

4.         Large-scale drawings of design details     

5.         Student accommodation, out of term use

6.         Student Management Plan

7.         Bin and cycle storage           

8.         Revised travel plan   

9.         Travel Information Pack       

10.      Student - no cars       

11.      Car parking spaces   

12.      Construction Traffic Management Plan    

13.      Fire hydrants  

14.      Landscape plan         

15.      Landscaping carried out by completion    

16.      Tree Protection Plan             

17.      Arboricultural Method Statement

18.      Removal of trees - Percy St garage site    

19.      Details of boilers and CHP  

20.      Boundary treatments            

21.      Sustainable design and energy efficiency           

22.      Biodiversity enhancements

23.      Noise levels - air conditioning, plant         

24.      Kitchen extraction equipment         

25.      Demolition strategy and validation plan    

26.      Phased risk assessment - land quality      

27.      Remedial works and validation report       

28.      Watching brief unexpected contamination

29.      B1 office use  

30.      Surface water - SUDS details         

31.      SUDS maintenance plan    

32.      Drainage infrastructure details       

Legal agreements

Section 106 agreement to secure affordable housing contribution of £643,432.72

Note: The Highways Authority has requested a contribution towards a Controlled Parking Zone however this is covered under CIL.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL):

The development is liable for £276,115.92 of CIL.

The Committee considered an application for the re-development of the application site to provide student accommodation (117 student rooms), 11 x self-contained flats, a single storey garden room accommodating flexible space for use as student common room/teaching/lecturing space, 150sqm GIA for employment uses (Use Class B1), and associated landscaping and infrastructure (Amended plans) at 265-279 Iffley Road and Garages, Percy Street, OX4 4AH.

The Planning Officer presented the report and highlighted the following points:

·         the Oxford Design Review Panel had commented favourably on the development

·         the development had been the subject of extensive public consultation and had adopted a number of suggestions from the local community

Lucy Clarke (Friends of Iffley Road), Peter McQuitty (local resident), Sarah Wild (local resident), Thelma Martin (Iffley Fields Residents Association) and County Councillor David Williams spoke against the application.  Ian Thompson (for the applicant) and Simon Fraser (architects) spoke in support of the application.

The consideration of this application was filmed by ISIS Student Magazine.

In discussion the Committee noted the following points:

·         The applicant (Wadham College) had confirmed that it would make a contribution in the sum of £66K as requested by the Highways Authority towards a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) for the area north of Iffley Road

·         The County Council had earmarked a further £200k in its budget for a separate Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) for the Iffley Fields area

·         The introduction of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) would be covered under CIL arrangements and were not material considerations for the planning application before the Committee

·         The creation of a gated access lane to the rear of the site between Charles Street and Percy Street for delivery traffic was to be commended

·         The development provided much needed student accommodation in an appropriate location and would be a sensitive and sympathetic improvement to the existing street scene

In reaching their decision, the Committee considered the officers report, presentation and the address of the public speakers.

On being put to the vote the Committee agreed with the officer recommendation.

The Committee resolved to approve planning permission for the reasons set out in the report and subject to the following conditions and informatives and the satisfactory completion of the following legal agreements and to delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Regulatory Services to issue the permission.

Conditions

1.         Development begun within time limit      

2.         Develop in accordance with approved plans    

3.         Sample materials and panels       

4.         Large-scale drawings of design details  

5.         Student accommodation, out of term use           

6.         Student Management Plan           

7.         Bin and cycle storage        

8.         Revised travel plan

9.         Travel Information Pack     

10.       Student - no cars    

11.       Car parking spaces            

12.       Construction Traffic Management Plan

13.       Fire hydrants           

14.       Landscape plan      

15.       Landscaping carried out by completion  

16.       Tree Protection Plan          

17.       Arboricultural Method Statement

18.       Removal of trees - Percy St garage site  

19.       Details of boilers and CHP           

20.       Boundary treatments          

21.       Sustainable design and energy efficiency        

22.       Biodiversity enhancements          

23.       Noise levels - air conditioning, plant       

24.       Kitchen extraction equipment      

25.       Demolition strategy and validation plan

26.       Phased risk assessment - land quality   

27.       Remedial works and validation report     

28.       Watching brief unexpected contamination

29.       B1 office use           

30.       Surface water - SUDS details       

31.       SUDS maintenance plan  

32.       Drainage infrastructure details     

Legal agreements

1.    Section 106 agreement to secure affordable housing contribution of £643,432.72

2.    £1240 fee for Travel Plan monitoring

3.    £2500 for the removal of parking zones on Iffley Road via Traffic Regulation Order

Informatives:

1.    Construction Traffic Management Plan (Condition 12) to be discussed with residents and in place before commencement of works.

2.    That Oxfordshire County Council should be asked to expedite the completion of the Section 278 Agreement and implementation of a Controlled Parking Zone to the north of Iffley Road as a matter of priority.