Site address: 145 Howard Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 3AZ

Proposal: Demolition of existing lean-to garage, rear kitchen extension and partial demolition of the rear ground floor bathroom. Erection of a part single, part two storey side extension. Erection of a single storey rear extension. Installation of 1no. air source heat pump to side elevation. Installation of solar panels to front elevation. Replacement fenestration to front and rear elevations.

Reason at Committee: The applicant is a member of staff.

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 Director 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 Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary.

Site address: 145 Howard Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 3AZ

Proposal: Demolition of existing lean-to garage, rear kitchen extension and partial demolition of the rear ground floor bathroom. Erection of a part single, part two storey side extension. Erection of a single storey rear extension. Installation of 1no. air source heat pump to side elevation. Installation of solar panels to front elevation. Replacement fenestration to front and rear elevations.

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 Director 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 Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary.

The Committee considered an application for the demolition of existing lean-to garage, rear kitchen extension and partial demolition of the rear ground floor bathroom. Erection of a part single, part two storey side extension. Erection of a single storey rear extension. Installation of 1no. air source heat pump to side elevation. Installation of solar panels to front elevation. Replacement fenestration to front and rear elevations.

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:

-       Planning permission had been approved for a similar application previously.

-       The application comprises of a two-story dwelling, which is located adjacent to the locally listed former Donnington Arms, while the rest of Howard Street is residential.

-       The application includes the addition of an air source heat pump, with conditions to ensure that it does not cause noise related disturbances to the local area.

-       Officers found that the proposed development was acceptable and would not cause detrimental impacts to the property or the area. Officers also found that the proposal would not cause detrimental impacts on neighbouring dwellings, parking or road safety. Officers noted that the proposal complies with relevant policies of the NPPF and the Local Plan.

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

-       Questions were raised around the previously approved plans for the site. Officers confirmed that the previously approved permission allowed for larger extensions to the site.

-       Questions were raised about the materials being used in the proposed work and if these would be matching materials. Officers said that they would assume that matching materials would be used, to match the appearance in the plan. They added that if this was not the case, they have delegated authority within the recommended conditions to request that they are matching.

-       Concerns were voiced about the air source heat pump and whether a noise assessment was needed. Concerns were also raised about the Council placing conditions on this, when planning permission was not required for the installation of air source heat pumps. Officers responded that no noise impact assessment had been submitted, but that the conditions being placed on the air source heat’s installation helped to ensure that any air source heat pump installed must comply with noise regulations. Officers added that they could take enforcement action if the air source heat pump did not comply with the noise regulations. Officers said that the conditions they’d proposed were standard ones and that it would be reasonable to impose them.

-       Questions were raised about the bike parking element of the proposal. Officers clarified that there was no requirement for the property owner to provide bike parking, but that they were choosing to include this in their proposal, and this was a beneficial part of the scheme.

On being proposed, seconded, and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendations with the relevant conditions, 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 Director 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 Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary.