Site address: Littlemore Park, Armstrong Road, Oxford

Proposal: Outline planning application (with all matters reserved) seeking permission for up to 270 residential dwellings of 1 to 4 bedrooms on 2 to 5 floors to incorporate a maximum of 104 houses and 166 flats. Provision of car parking, cycle and bin storage, landscaping and ancillary works.

Officer recommendation: That the Committee GRANT outline planning permission, subject to the conditions below and the satisfactory completion of an accompanying legal agreement, and to delegate to the Head of City Development the issuing of the Notice of Permission upon its completion:

Conditions:

1.    Time Limit for Commencement.

2.    Approved plans and documents.

3.    Reserved Matters Applications.

4.    Phasing of Development.

5.    Details of all external materials.

6.    Landscaping and Public Realm.

7.    Tree Protection Plan.

8.    Landscape Management Plan.

9.    Site Layout to incorporate space for links to the Science Park and wider area.

10. Ecological Mitigation, Compensation, and Management Plan.

11. Lifetime Homes Standards.

12. Car Parking Standards.

13. Cycle Parking Standards.

14. Sustainability and Energy Strategy.

15. Site Wide Foul and Surface Water Drainage Strategy .

16. Archaeology – evaluation.

17. Noise Attenuation Measures.

18. Flood Risk Assessment Mitigation Measure.

19. Contaminated Land - Risk Assessment.

20. Contaminated Land - Verification Report.

21. Contaminated Land - Unsuspected Contamination.

22. Contaminated Land - Foundation Design and Piling.

23. Secured By Design Measures.

24. Highways - Details of access roads.

25. Highways - Construction Traffic Management Plan.

26. Highways - Travel Plan.

27. Details of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.

28. Withdrawal of Permitted Development Right.

Legal Agreement:

·         Affordable housing.

·         Employment Land Swap – Churchill Site.

·         Management of Linear Park.

·         Bio-diversity off-setting.

·         Future proof pedestrian / cycle links.

·         Financial contribution of £50,0000 towards general sports and leisure facilities within Littlemore.

·         Financial contribution of £795 per dwelling towards Public Transport Improvement.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated now appended) which  detailed an outline planning application (with all matters reserved) seeking permission for up to 270 residential dwellings of 1 to 4 bedrooms on 2 to 5 floors to incorporate a maximum of 104 houses and 166 flats. Provision of car parking, cycle and bin storage, landscaping and ancillary works.

The Planning Officer presented the report, he explained that the applicant was offering an additional £214,000 to improve the bus service to the site. This would allow for an extended off peak service.

He explained that the Council’s Sites and Housing Policy designated this site as primarily for employment and secondary for housing.  An additional employment site has been made available at the Churchill Hospital site which meant this site can be used for housing.

He did not consider this proposal to be over-developed or unsustainable.

Judith Godsland (Oxford Road Action Group), Sue Stewart (Littlemore Parish Council), Neil Browning and Cllr David Henwood (Littlemore Parish Council) spoke against the application.

Kevin Ayrton (agent), Sheila Ordrin (applicant) and Huw Vaughn Jones (Mode Transport Planning consultants) spoke in favour of the application.

The Committee raised concerns about the accessibility of the development to public transport and the lack of amenities on the site. Officers explained that an hourly bus service was available during the week and on Saturdays and although this is not as frequent as other bus services in the city, the Planning Inspector considered that on the whole, “the city has very good transport links”. This does not mean that all parts of the city have the same frequency of bus service.

Officers are having on-going discussions with Magdalen College to allow public access through the science park to the proposed new railway station on the Cowley line.

The Committee resolved to GRANT outline planning permission, subject to the conditions and informatives below and the satisfactory completion of an accompanying legal agreement, and to delegate to the Head of City Development the issuing of the Notice of Permission upon its completion:

Conditions:

1.    Time Limit for Commencement.

2.    Approved plans and documents.

3.    Reserved Matters Applications.

4.    Phasing of Development.

5.    Details of all external materials.

6.    Landscaping and Public Realm.

7.    Tree Protection Plan.

8.    Landscape Management Plan.

9.    Site Layout to incorporate space for links to the Science Park and wider area.

10. Ecological Mitigation, Compensation, and Management Plan.

11. Lifetime Homes Standards.

12. Car Parking Standards.

13. Cycle Parking Standards.

14. Sustainability and Energy Strategy.

15. Site Wide Foul and Surface Water Drainage Strategy .

16. Archaeology – evaluation.

17. Noise Attenuation Measures.

18. Flood Risk Assessment Mitigation Measure.

19. Contaminated Land - Risk Assessment.

20. Contaminated Land - Verification Report.

21. Contaminated Land - Unsuspected Contamination.

22. Contaminated Land - Foundation Design and Piling.

23. Secured By Design Measures.

24. Highways - Details of access roads.

25. Highways - Construction Traffic Management Plan.

26. Highways - Travel Plan.

27. Details of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.

28. Withdrawal of Permitted Development Right.

Informatives:

1.    Any CIL contribution to be used to improve Oxford Road and links into Littlemore

2.    A proportion of the development’s houses be exclusively available for NHS staff.

3.    Bus Service improvements should be secured for Littlemore

Legal Agreement:

1.    Affordable housing.

2.    Employment Land Swap – Churchill Site.

3.    Management of Linear Park.

4.    Bio-diversity off-setting.

5.    Future proof pedestrian / cycle links.

6.    Financial contribution of £50,0000 towards general sports and leisure facilities within Littlemore.

Financial contribution of £795 per dwelling towards Public Transport Improvement.