The Committee considered a reserved matters application (20/0081/RES) for construction of a spine road for access to phases 1b, 1c and 1d of the Oxford North development and the provision of landscaping to create Canalside Park.

The planning officer presented the application, and highlighted the following:

·       Following receipt of the biodiversity scheme shortly before the report was published, the Council’s Ecology Officer had recommended that two further conditions should be added to the planning permission for the site, if granted.  These related to (i) a requirement for the developer to submit a landscape and ecological management plan prior to first use of the access road; and (ii) a requirement that the biodiversity enhancement measures contained in the biodiversity strategy are implemented prior to first use of the access road.

·       The application was a reserved matters application specifically for an access road and park intended to serve the southern parcel of the Oxford North site. It was aligned with another reserved matters application currently under consideration for 317 dwellings on the Canalside parcel of the Oxford North site, but had come forward first due to time pressure to commence the works on the loop road.  Were approval for the spine road to be granted, a Grampian condition would be recommended to be applied to any permission for the housing development, in order to ensure that the road and park were delivered in full.

·       The layout and landscaping of the Canalside Park aligned with the wider vision for the space as approved in the Oxford North masterplan in terms of providing a natural break between the residential development and semi-rural landscape to the south, as well as providing substantial open space for existing and future residents.  The layout included the provision of pedestrian and cycle connections between the Canalside housing and Joe White’s Lane, which was important in terms of the wider access strategy, as well as a swale which was important for the sustainable drainage strategy for the wider Oxford North site.

·       The park was important in terms of the delivery of the 5% biodiversity net gain across the Oxford North site.  The provision of wildflower grassland, wet grassland and hedgerows would be significant contributors to biodiversity enhancement measures.

·       The proposal would provide fundamental supporting infrastructure which was vital for supporting the development of 317 homes.  The moderate level of less than substantial harm to the Wolvercote with Godstow Conservation Area and the setting of the Grade II listed Manor Farm which the development as a whole was considered to involve, having been assessed under the hybrid application, would be outweighed by the public benefits of the development as a whole: principally the delivery of 480 homes and substantial employment provision and the benefits proposed in this application, namely the delivery of vital supporting infrastructure in terms of the access road and park.

·       The proposal was considered to be in accordance with the wider vision for the Oxford North site, the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan, the Local Plan and the NPPF.

Councillor Diggins left the Chamber for a short time during the presentation of this item and so did not take part in the debate on this item or vote on this application.

The Committee asked questions about details of the application which were responded to by officers.

Having been 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 and the addition of two new conditions which the Planning Officer had updated the Committee on in the presentation of the application:

(i)             a condition that the developer submits a landscape and ecological management plan prior to first use of the access road; and

(ii)            a condition that the biodiversity enhancement measures contained in the biodiversity strategy are implemented prior to first use of the access road.

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 two conditions as noted above 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.