PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ITEM WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT AFTER THE AGENDA WAS PUBLISHED. AS A RESULT, IT WILL NOT BE HEARD AT THE MEETING

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application to erect a new accommodation block for 57 additional bedrooms, new entrance, extension to dining room, covered delivery area, additional 20 car parking spaces and amended access drive.

Officer recommendation: That the Committee REFUSE the planning application for the following reasons:

  1        As a result of the significant size and scale of the extensions proposed and their consequent prominence within the landscape, the proposals represent an inappropriate form of development within the Green Belt to the detriment of its long term openness which would only be exacerbated by the loss of existing boundary vegetation. The proposals are therefore unacceptable and fail to comply with the requirements of policy CS4 of the Oxford Core Strategy 2026 as well as policies CP1 and CP8 of the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016 and Government guidance set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

 2         The proposed development would take place within Flood Zone 3a as designated by the Environment Agency. The proposals have not been supported by an adequate Flood Risk Assessment and fails to satisfactorily demonstrate that the proposals would not result in an increased risk of flooding locally or elsewhere. The proposals therefore fail to comply with the requirements of policy CS11 of the Oxford Core Strategy 2026 as well as Government guidance set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

 3         The proposed development would result in the direct loss of a mature Goat Willow tree and construction within the root protection areas of a number of other trees along the north-eastern boundary of the site. Whilst the proposals have not been accompanied by an adequate assessment of the arboricultural implications of the development it is clear that existing boundary vegetation along the drainage channel will be significantly harmed with the consequence that the extended hotel complex would be noticeably more prominent within the surrounding landscape. The proposals are therefore considered to be contrary to the requirements of policies CP1, CP11 and NE15 of the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016 as well as policy CS4 of the Oxford Core Strategy 2026. 

 4         The hotel is located along a main vehicular route into the centre of Oxford relatively close to trunk routes and the bypass of the city. Consequently the majority of guests staying at the hotel arrive by car with the level of car travel considered to be likely to greater than that expected of a typical hotel within the city and more similar to that to be associated with a hotel or motel at a peripheral location. Consequently, and in the absence of a robust transport assessment to demonstrate otherwise, the level of car parking proposed to serve the extended hotel is considered to be inadequate contrary to policies CP1 and TR3 of the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016.

5. In the absence of a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the proposals on the highway network and the free-flow of traffic in local roads which already suffer from severe parking pressure, the development proposals are considered to fail to accord with the requirements of policies CP1, TR1 and TR3 of the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016.

This application was withdrawn by the applicant before the meeting.