Site address: University of Oxford Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Proposal: Application for reserved matters of application 12/02072/OUT (appearance, landscaping, scale and layout) for plot B2 to create a three storey laboratory building with basement and plant at roof level with associated substation building, cycle storage building and associated landscaping (additional information and revised plans).

Reason at Committee: Major Development

RECOMMENDATION

Oxford City 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 12 of this report and grant planning permission.

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Regulation to:

·       finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary; and

The Committee considered an application for reserved matters of application 12/02072/OUT (appearance, landscaping, scale and layout) for plot B2 to create a three storey laboratory building with basement and plant at roof level with associated substation building, cycle storage building and associated landscaping (additional information and revised plans).

The Planning Officer gave a presentation outlining the details of the location and the proposal. This included site photos and existing and proposed elevations and plans:

• The report considered a reserved matters application following the grant of planning permission for the provision of an academic research building intended for research in pandemic sciences. The application sought approval for the layout, scale, appearance, and landscaping of the proposal.
• The report took into account the principle of development, design and impact on the neighbouring amenity, highway impact, trees and landscaping, energy efficiency, land quality, air quality, impact on utilities, ecology and drainage. It concluded that the proposal was acceptable in all regards and would make more efficient use of the site.
• The development was deemed to accord with the aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework. It constituted sustainable development, and officers advised that the proposal should be approved without delay. There were no material considerations that would outweigh compliance with national and local plan policies.
• The Planning Officer provided several verbal updates. These included a further objection from Headington Heritage following the publication of the committee report, related to whether the site lay within the catchment area of the Lye Valley SSSI. The Planning Officer clarified that the site sat just outside the ground water buffer zone and the surface water catchment zone for the southern fen. the concerns with the basement were also reiterated, although this issue had already been addressed. The application had undergone consultation with Natural England at the time of the outline application and again during this application, and no objections were received. 
• Officers recommended approval of the application, subject to conditions. The recommendation acknowledged that while the application did not comply with policy RE1 of the Oxford Local Plan concerning energy efficiency, the proposal would result in a more energy-efficient building than might otherwise be achieved. The development exceeded the scale parameters in terms of height, but officers did not consider this a significant material change that would result in harm. The application was therefore considered acceptable, and the officer recommendation was to approve, subject to conditions, which might be subject to amendment for consistency with the outline conditions, which would need to be discharged under a separate application. 

Prof. Adrian Hill, Dawn Brodie and Jack Tinsley spoke in favour of the application.

The Committee asked questions about the details of the application which were responded to by officers and the applicant. The Committee’s discussions included, but were not limited to:

• Concerns were raised regarding the principle of the proposed energy strategy, the parking for the nursery and groundwater displacement and hydrology. The Planning Officer explained that these were material considerations regardless of the SSSI, and had been given outline consent in consultation with statutory consultees. A site wide drainage strategy had been approved under outline conditions, and this plot specific strategy would be required to integrate into that strategy. 

On being proposed, seconded, and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application for the reasons listed on the report.

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 this report and grant planning permission.

2. Agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Regulation to:

·       finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary.