The Committee considered an application (21/01405/FUL) for the demolition of existing carpenters yard buildings; 302, 304 and 312 Marston Road; and 1 and 3 Jack Straw’s Lane and erection of a residential care home (Use Class C2) with associated landscaping and car parking.

The Planning Officer gave a presentation and highlighted the following:

·       The plans had been subject to minor amendment since publication of the report to include reinstatement of a pedestrian access path from Marston Road into the site.  This was considered important in order to provide a link to Marston Road and the adjoining bus stops and pedestrian and cycle routes.

·       30 parking spaces were to be provided, comprising 18 spaces for staff (many of whom worked very early or very late shifts) and 12 for visitors.  Operational need for the spaces had been outlined in the transport assessment.  Four of the visitor spaces would be used by medical staff, contractors, and visitors hosting activities with the remainder to be used by those visiting residents. 

·       The development was expected to generate around an additional 86 vehicle movements per day.  The County Council had indicated that this would not have a severe impact on the surrounding road network.

·       The proposal would involve the loss of 5 housing units on the site, as well as an employment site.  Policy H11 of the Local Plan supported the development of care accommodation in appropriate locations and acknowledged that there was a shortfall of 434 specialist care rooms by 2023 which would need to be delivered.  The location of the accommodation proposed within the application was considered to align with policy H11 in that the site was located within a balanced community and accessible to local services and facilities.  Whilst the loss of the housing units represented a departure from policy H5, the proposals would provide a total of 80 bedrooms falling within use class C2 which would equate to the provision of 44 dwellings using the Government’s housing delivery test.  

·       As the accommodation was not self-contained there was no requirement to provide affordable housing on site, nor any financial contribution towards the off-site delivery of affordable housing.

·       Following amendment of the plans, the proposal now included reduced height hipped roofs instead of pitched roofs.   This was considered to more effectively integrate with the dwellings in Marston Road.  It was not considered that the proposal would have adverse impact on the amenity of surrounding residents; the scale of the building was considered to be appropriate for the site and surrounding area; and the design was considered to be of a high standard.

Kerry Dearden of the Orders of St John Care Trust and Oliver Neagle, agent, spoke in favour of the application.

The Committee asked questions of officers and the applicant and agent, and discussion included the following:

·        Consideration had been given in the design of the proposal to the wellbeing needs of staff and learning arising from the covid-19 pandemic.

·        The development would sit below the skyline when viewed from Doris Field Close, and was not considered to have an adverse effect on the Headington Hill conservation area.

·        There had been no reference within the County Council’s response as statutory consultee to Jack Straw’s Lane being a primary cycle route / designated quiet way and the potential for impact between those cycling along the route and those entering and exiting the application site by car.  It was also noted that trees were shown close to the entrance to the car park which may serve to obscure the view of cyclists by car drivers.  Although condition 5 required the provision of vision splays each side of the access, it was suggested that consideration also be given to modifying the landscaping to improve the siting of the trees and including signage to warn of the presence of cyclists.  Planning officers advised that the developer would be required to enter into a Section 278 agreement with the Highways Authority in relation to highways works, and consideration could be given at that point to adding signage to warn drivers of the presence of cyclists.  The landscaping plans were indicative at this stage; changes may be required as part of engineering works within the Section 278 agreement, and the final form of landscaping would be approved as part of the landscaping conditions.  It was also suggested that the inclusion of a speed hump at the entrance to the car park could further help to improve the safety of cyclists, but again that any such requirement would be secured under Section 278 works if County deemed such measures necessary.

·        A number of new trees would be planted as part of the landscaping proposals and it was considered that these should be of species which could tolerate extremes of climate.

·        The proposal would provide employment which would exceed that provided under the previous employment site use as a carpenter’s yard.

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application, subject to the conditions set out in the report, any necessary additional conditions, and the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and an informative to refer to the possibility of the Section 278 agreement including measures aimed at protecting the safety of cyclists using Jack Straw’s Lane in the vicinity of the site.

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved to:

1.    approve the application for the reasons given in the report subject to:

·       the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report and the informative referred to above; and

·       the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement and / or unilateral undertaking 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 set out in 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; and

·        finalise the recommended legal agreement and / or unilateral undertaking 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

·        issue the planning permission after the completion of the legal agreement and / or unilateral undertaking.