Site Address: Plots 23-26, Oxford Science Park, Grenoble Road, Oxford

Proposal: Partial demolition, alterations and upward extension to existing buildings and erection of 2no. link atriums to provide 1no. building for research and development (Use Class E). Provision of access, parking and landscaping works.

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; and 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 this report; and

2.    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; and

·       finalise the mechanism to secure Biodiversity Net Gain; and

·       finalise the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers including refining, adding to, amending and/or deleting the obligations detailed in the heads of terms set out in this report (including to dovetail with and where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary; and

·       complete the section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission.

Site Address: Plots 23-26, Oxford Science Park, Grenoble Road, Oxford

Proposal: Partial demolition, alterations and upward extension to existing buildings and erection of 2no. link atriums to provide 1no. building for research and development (Use Class E). Provision of access, parking and landscaping works.

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; and 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 this report; and

2.    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; and

·       finalise the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers including refining, adding to, amending and/or deleting the obligations detailed in the heads of terms set out in this report (including to dovetail with and where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary; and

·       complete the section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission.

Councillor Elphinstone left the meeting.

The Committee considered an application for the partial demolition, alterations and upward extension to existing buildings and erection of 2no. link atriums to provide 1no. building for research and development (Use Class E). Provision of access, parking and landscaping works.

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 Planning Officer provided a verbal update. With regards to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), taking account of the scale of development already delivered on the site and captured through CIL, the remaining CIL contribution for the scheme was recalculated at £315,515.42p, representing a significant reduction from the figure set out in the report. This is due to CIL already being paid by the previous applicants on the building structures that would remain on site and the CIL calculation for this application being based on additional floorspace only. 
• In respect of ecology, the original recommendation sought delegated authority for the Director of Planning and Regulation to negotiate and finalise the mechanism for securing Biodiversity Net Gain. Since publication of the report, officers had received an amended BNG metric and assessment which confirmed that 10% BNG would be achieved through a combination of on and off-site enhancements. The off-site units would be purchased from The Trust of Oxfordshire’s Environment and used on a site near Thame. The applicant had provided sufficient information to give officers confidence that the BNG condition under schedule 7a of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 would be discharged through a biodiversity gain plan agreed with the local Planning Authority, following the approval of planning permission.
• Concerns had been raised during the pre-application process regarding embodied carbon, particularly given the partial demolition of recently constructed buildings and the direction of emerging policies. However, the applicant demonstrated a strong commitment to circular economy principles through the retention of the existing structural frame, the re-use of building elements on and off-site, the minimisation of construction waste and the specification of recycled and responsibly resourced materials.
• The proposal included provision of 332 car parking spaces, a substantial reduction from the 861 previously approved, equating to a mode share of 34%. Adequate cycle parking would be provided across the site, with further details secured by condition. Officers were satisfied that the development would not give rise to adverse impacts in relation to flood risk, drainage, land contamination, noise pollution or air quality impact.
• It was recommended that the Committee resolve to grant planning permission for the development proposed subject to the conditions in section 12 and to the satisfactory completion of the legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers.

Guy Wakefield and Matt Abney 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:

• Questions were raised regarding employment opportunities for local people and the proportionality of jobs within the facilities. The Planning Officer advised that the applicant had agreed to enter into a Community Employment and Procurement Plan, which would secure a requirement for 20% of employees during the operational phase to be recruited from an Oxfordshire post code.  This would be secured by legal agreement.
• Concerns were raised about how the loss of the tree belt on the site would be compensated. The Planning Officer explained that there was no opportunity to provide additional replacement planting on-site. The applicant added that efforts had been made to maximise planting along the boundary to compensate for the loss of trees approved under the previous application and that there was no scope for any further tree planting beyond what was proposed.
• Questions were also raised regarding the reduction in car parking spaces and how this had been assessed. The Planning Officer explained that the Highways Authority had been consulted on the application and as set out in the report, the projected car mode share would be reduced to 34%, representing a significant reduction from the consented scheme and that the applicant’s had robustly justified the level of parking proposed within the submitted Transport Assessment, as required by policy. Taking into account the site’s sustainability and the likely patterns of staff, the level of parking is considered appropriate. No further reduction in parking provision was considered necessary.

On being proposed, seconded, and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application for the reasons set out in the report and subject to conditions and a legal agreement.

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; and 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 this report; and

2.    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; and

·       finalise the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers including refining, adding to, amending and/or deleting the obligations detailed in the heads of terms set out in this report (including to dovetail with and where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Director of Planning and Regulation considers reasonably necessary; and

·       complete the section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission.