The Committee considered an application (18/03369/FUL) for planning permission for demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of site to provide 140 dwellings (3x studios, 73 x 1 bed, 60 x 2 beds, and 4 x 3 beds) with associated works.  Additional information and amended plans and description.

The Planning Officer presented the report and briefed the Committee on representations received since the agenda had been published.

3 additional representations have been received from properties located in Mill Street, Barrett Street and Gibbs Crescent which referred to

•          Fire service access

•          Fire safety of the building

•          Compliance with building regulations

•          planning application was inaccessible on the website for a period of time

•          improvements to the public right of way

•          involvement of local residents in any future art installation

•          inaccuracies in the application

•          impact on the right of way due to amendments to the kerb along the access road

Letters of representation were also received from The National Federation of the Blind of the UK and Oxfordshire Association for the Blind objecting to the scheme on highway grounds and the inclusion of a shared space.

The Planning Officer confirmed that all of the issues raised had been addressed in the report and advised that following the above representations the Highway Authority has again commented on the application and proposed that a further planning condition be applied to require a plan detailing the technical details of the access and shared surfaces areas. This would allow officers to look at the technical details and have further regard to its compliance with the Equality Act.

The Planning Officer also corrected an error in Condition 33: “12 months” to be replaced with “5 years”. 

In conclusion the Planning Officer informed the Committee that the Fire Service had sent a fire engine to the site and had confirmed that they are able to access the whole of the site using the existing road. 

Ann McKinley, Rhiannon Ash (local residents) and Peter Monk (representing the National Federation of the Blind) spoke against the application. 

Councillor Landell Mills joined the meeting at this point but took no part in the consideration of this application.

Jim Smith and Henry Venners (representing the applicant) spoke in favour of the application.

The Committee asked questions of the officers and public speakers about the details of the application.

The Committee discussion centred on the issues relating to the access to the site and the safety concerns which had been raised by objectors, speaking at the meeting and during the public consultation.  The Committee noted the limitations of the current site access and acknowledged that the scheme would deliver improvements through a better delineation between the carriageway and footpath; a reduction in the width of the kerb; and the removal of foliage and other debris from the cemetery.   

The Committee were reassured that the inclusion of a robust condition requiring technical details for the access road and shared surface areas would provide the necessary control to ensure that all of the safety concerns are addressed. 

The Committee asked for the following informative to be included:

•        the applicant should be encouraged to seek to introduce further improvements to the southern footpath to encourage it’s use as a pedestrian and cycle route to the city centre

In reaching its decision, the Committee considered all the information put before it.

After debate and on being proposed, seconded and put to the vote, the Committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation to approve the application.

The West Area Planning Committee resolved to:

1.              approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the 33 required planning conditions set out in section 12 of the report (and as amended above), the additional condition detailed above and grant planning permission 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 the report; and

2.              agree to delegate authority to the Acting Head of Planning Services to:

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

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

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