Site address:                  1 Court Place Gardens, Oxford, OX4 4EW

Proposal:                        Demolition of 36 existing residential dwelling and erection of 71 dwellings including associated earthworks, hard and soft landscaping, bin storage and cycle and car parking. 

Recommendation:

The Oxford City Planning Committee is recommended to:

1.     Resolve to approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 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;

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;

·       complete the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers as set out in this 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;

·       issue the planning permission.

The Committee considered an application (21/01388/FUL) for planning permission for the demolition of 36 existing residential dwelling and erection of 71 dwellings including associated earthworks, hard and soft landscaping, bin storage and cycle and car parking.

The Planning Officer presented the report and advised the Committee that:

• The development site had been allocated for graduate student accommodation or residential accommodation in the Oxford Local Plan (Policy SP34).
• There had been no objections from the statutory consultees
• The reference to “U” quality trees in paragraphs 10.164 and 10.166 should be corrected to reference “C” quality trees.  The error didn’t have any impact on the assessment of the trees.

·       In respect of Biodiversity Net Gain,the reference to the “poor” condition of the woodland habitat in Paragraph 10.167 was a general statement. Planning officers accept the formal classification of “moderate” for that area of woodland habitat as stated in the Biodiversity Net Gain metric. Planning officers were satisfied that the report addressed all of the points made in the correspondence circulated to the Committee by the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford and from the Friends of Iffley Village

·       No objections had been received from Environmental Health Officers concerning Noise

The Planning Officer informed the Committee that she proposed to include additional  conditions to restrict permitted development rights and to address noise.

Local residents Chris Rust, and Phil Hart and Julia Falconer representing Friends of Iffley Fields spoke against the application. 

Anna Strongman, representing the University spoke in favour of the application.

The Committee asked questions of the officers about the details of the application.

In discussion the Committee noted the following points:

• Environment Act 2021 – although this had received Royal Assent Part 6 on Biodiversity was not yet the law and until such time the existing biodiversity net gain target of 5% as set out in the Local Plan carried greater weight.
• Materials for roads and pavements – this would be covered by Condition 3
• As detailed in the report the potential hydrological impacts on the Lowland Fen habitat and the Rivermead Nature Reserve (designated as a SLINC - Site of Local Importance to Nature Conservation) had been fully assessed and planning officers were satisfied that the proposed SUDS would restrict run-off from the site to greenfield rate

·       The Sun Study assessment considers the loss of light to 1 Eastchurch and notes that the existing trees already have a considerable impact on daylight and sunlight in the rear garden and that the impact of the new development, although different in form, would not, on balance, materially exacerbate that impact.

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it and agreed with the conclusions set out in the officer report.

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application with the addition of further conditions regarding the restriction of permitted development rights and noise.

The Oxford City Planning Committee resolved to:           

1. approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report, and the addition of further conditions as detailed above 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;

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;

·        complete the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers as set out in this 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;

·        issue the planning permission.