Site address:                   Sir Geoffrey Arthur Building, Long Ford Close,   OX1 4NJ

Proposal:                        Demolition of existing accommodation building and music room block to ground floor level and erection of replacement buildings to create 77 student bedrooms, 8 studio rooms and ancillary provision for Pembroke College on the Geoffrey Arthur Site in form of a Graduate building and a separate studio block, including adjustments to the public realm and pedestrian / vehicular access from Baltic Wharf.       

Recommendation:

The West Area 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 9 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

·     confirmation from the Secretary of State that the application will not be ‘called in’, following the referral of the application in accordance with The Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2009;  and

·     completion of a 21 day statutory consultation period requested by the Environment Agency due to the application being recommended for approval contrary to their objections.

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 Committee considered an application (19/02032/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of existing accommodation building and music room block to ground floor level and erection of replacement buildings to create 77 student bedrooms, 8 studio rooms and ancillary provision for Pembroke College on the Geoffrey Arthur Site in form of a Graduate building and a separate studio block, including adjustments to the public realm and pedestrian / vehicular access from Baltic Wharf.

The Planning Officer presented the report and gave the following verbal updates:

·       Two objection comments had been received since the agenda was published from addresses in Trinity Street and Baltic Wharf. The matters raised in those comments have already been addressed in the officer’s report.

·       There was a concern about the use of the vehicular access; for clarity this is proposed to be retained as it is currently – for emergency vehicles and servicing only – specifically refuse and recycling trucks. Officers considered that this was acceptable as it would not worsen the impact of the access on local residents above and beyond the existing situation.

The Planning Officer advised that the Environment Agency had withdrawn its objections subject to conditions, the wording of which could be delegated to officers if the Committee was minded to grant planning permission. Following the removal of the Environment Agency’s objections there was no longer a requirement to refer the application to the Secretary of State and complete a statutory consultation period.  

The Planning Officer advised that since the application was considered by the West Area Planning Committee on 21 January 2020 further information had been supplied to demonstrate sight lines and views from the study bedrooms into the neighbouring property and evidence to support the assertion that the internal layout of the study bedrooms, which would be secured by condition, would serve as adequate mitigation.  Additional obscure glazing had been proposed to mitigate against harmful overlooking of the neighbouring property, No. 4 Baltic Wharf.

Mike Naworynsky, representing the applicant, and Stuart Cade, agent spoke in favour of the application and answered questions from the Committee.

The Committee welcomed the modifications and commended the applicant for their constructive response to the previous request from the Committee to explore measures to mitigate against the overlooking of No.4 Baltic Wharf.

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 West Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.             approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the 32 required planning conditions and 1 informative set out in section 9 of the report with additional conditions to secure obscure glazing to the windows that would overlook 4 Baltic Wharf and to cover the matters required by the Environment Agency 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.         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.