Agenda and minutes

The chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, outlined the procedure to be followed, and advised on emergency evacuation arrangements. 

Councillors Sue Marchant and Margaret Turner had sent their apologies for absence and appointed Councillors Jenny Hannaby and John Amys respectively as their substitutes. 

Councillor Jenny Hannaby declared a personal interest in the planning application P14/V2829/FUL at 23 Wallingford Street, Wantage as she lived nearby. 

Councillor Jerry Patterson declared a personal interest in application P15/V0154/O on land adjacent to Fernham Gate, Faringdon as he recalled the applicant’s agent being a former council employee. 

Councillor Janet Shelley declared a personal interest in the application P14/V2478/FUL at Rutherford Laboratory as she was a member of East Hendred Parish Council but had not taken part in its consideration of the planning application. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the committee meeting held on 18 March 2015. 

RESOLVED: to adopt the minutes of the committee meeting held on 18 March 2015 and agree that the chairman signs them as such.   

None

The list showing eight members of the public that had registered to speak on planning applications was tabled at the meeting. 

None

None

Residential development of 68 new homes, public open space and new site accesses.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P14/V2757/FUL for residential development of 68 new homes, public open space and new site accesses.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

Sarah Day, a representative of the parish council, spoke objecting to the application raising concerns about:

·         the outdated masterplan for the site’s development

·         plots 38 and 39 would overlook existing neighbouring properties

·         noise pollution was likely to exceed the required standards

·         the location of the block of flats nearest to the A420 was poor design

·         the access was poor

·         the studies proposed in some properties may be marketed as third bedrooms and were of an inadequate size for that purpose

·         the development failed to meet appropriate standards

Chris Nixon spoke in objection to the application about:

·         the spine road through the site was too narrow

·         the plans did not show two existing neighbouring properties

·         there would be an adverse traffic impact on neighbouring roads causing an unacceptable highways risk

·         the pedestrian access to the village was not in the applicant’s ownership and might not be achievable  

·         the A420 noise mitigation measures were inadequate

·         there were too many houses on the site and the development brought no gain for the village

·         the neighbours had not been informed of changes to the application

Phil Brown, the applicant’s agent, spoke in favour of the application:

·         the development was sustainable and there were no technical objections

·         the noise impact assessment and mitigation plan had been agreed by the council’s Environmental Protection team

·         the applicants accepted the proposed amendments to the planning conditions, set out in the officer’s report addendum

·         the mix of housing types complied with the council’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment

·         the road alignment had been agreed at the outline permission stage

Councillor Elaine Ware, one of the local ward members, spoke in against the application:

·         the local ward members had not received any notification of the proposed amendments until a late stage

·         some neighbouring residents had not been informed of the proposed amendments

·         the application overlooked many of the issues highlighted at the outline permission stage

·         a ransom strip was needed to secure the pedestrian access link to the village

·         the centre of the site was too far from the village facilities

·         this would add traffic to already busy roads

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covered the following points:

·         the principle of development of the site had been set at the outline permission stage

·         the council had allowed 14 days to reconsult on the amendments; this was in line with its policy

·         Environmental Protection had agreed the noise mitigation measures

·         The council’s housing officers were content with the proposed housing mix on the site

·         There were no highways authority objections on safety grounds

·         The access arrangements had been approved previously

·         The development complied with the residential design guide

·         It would bring affordable housing to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Erection of two shops and 7 one bedroom and 17 two bedroom flats.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P14/V2829/FUL for the erection of two shops and seven one bedroom and 17 two bedroom flats at 23 Wallingford Street, Wantage.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covering the following points:

·         There were no reasons to refuse this application

·         Condition 28 should be amended to require submission of a noise insulation scheme for all dwellings, and there should be an additional condition requiring the submission of a site completion report to validate that all noise mitigation measures have been carried out

RESOLVED (13 votes for; none against; and 1 abstention) 

To authorise the head of planning in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the committee to approve planning permission on application P14/V2829/FUL, subject to the completion of a section 106 agreement to secure contributions to off-site services and facilities, and subject to the following conditions:

1 : Time limit – three years
2 : Approved plans
3 : Samples of materials to be submitted
4 : Details of doors, windows and other detailing to be submitted
5 : Details of all vents and flues to be submitted 
6 : Details of shop fronts to be submitted
7 : Boundary treatment details to be submitted
8 : Slab level details to be submitted
9 : Sustainable drainage details (surface and foul) to be submitted
10 : Details of all external lighting to be submitted
11 : Details of contamination risks and any required mitigation to be submitted
12 : EA 1 – scheme to deal with contamination risks to be submitted (principal aquifer)
13 : EA 2 – no occupation until a remediation strategy report is submitted
14 : EA 3 – if any other contamination found, no development until a remediation strategy is submitted
15 : Tree protection scheme to be submitted 
16 : Construction statement in relation to the car park to be submitted
17 : Landscaping scheme - submission 
18 : Landscaping scheme - implementation
19 : Archaeology Watching Brief - submission
20 : Archaeology Watching Brief - implementation
21 : Details of access, including visibility splays, to be submitted
22 : Details of cycle parking to be submitted
23 : Construction Traffic Management Plan to be submitted  
24 : Framework Travel Plan to be produced, details of which to be submitted
25 : Travel Information Packs to be produced, details of which to be submitted 
26 : Details of locations of fire hydrants to be submitted 
27 : Footpath widening to be carried out prior to occupation and to OCC standards
28 : Scheme for insulation of all dwellings against noise to be submitted

29 : Submission of a site completion report to validate that all noise mitigation measures have been carried out

Outline application for erection for a development of 10 dwellings and associated parking and landscaping, new access onto Fernham Road.

The officer presented the report and addendum on outline application P15/V0154/O for ten dwellings, parking, landscaping and new access on land adjacent to Fernham Gate, Faringdon.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

Chris Kench spoke in objection to the application about:

·         the proposed development was outside of Great Coxwell village, was contrary to its neighbourhood plan and the local plan

·         the development was unsustainable

·         it would bring no benefit to Faringdon

·         it was not necessary to have more housing

·         the noise survey had limited usefulness

·         the ecology benefits of the site had been dismissed

Mike Gilbert, the applicant’s agent, spoke in favour of the application:

·         this would be an appropriate use for the site

·         it was a sustainable development

·         the layout had been designed to take into account the site’s constraints

·         plot 4 had been adjusted to overcome neighbour objections

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covered the following points:

·         the consultation on the amendments had been carried out in accordance with the council’s 14 day policy

·         this was not a greenfield site

·         the number of dwellings had been reduced to ten to move them away from the A420

·         this was an outline application; landscaping and other details would be considered at the full application stage

·         there should be a contaminated land risk assessment and no development until the local planning authority was satisfied with the decontamination plan

·         there should be no further development of the site to the east of plot 10

·         there should be a slab level condition

·         plots 3 and 4 in the reserved matters application must be single storey

RESOLVED (14 votes to nil) 

To authorise the head of planning in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the committee to approve planning permission on application P15/V0154/O, subject to the following conditions:

1. Outline approval commencement - three years. 

2. Reserved matters submission - two years. 

3. Approved plans. 

4. Sustainable Urban Drainage System compliant foul and surface drainage strategy to be agreed. 

5. No surface water to be discharged onto the adjacent highway. 

6. Drainage strategy (Thames Water). 

7. No dwelling to be occupied until sewage treatment works upgrade completed. 

8. No development to commence until a phased contaminated land risk assessment has been carried out. 

9. Development to be designed and implemented in accordance with the recommendations contained in the ecology report. 

10. Development not to exceed 1000 square metres total gross floorspace (otherwise developer contributions will be triggered). 

11. Provision of residential accommodation across the site to accord with the mix identified in the strategic housing market assessment. 

12. Detailed internal layout to accord with Oxfordshire County Council manual for streets principles. 

13. Visibility spays to be provided. 

14. Car and cycle parking provision to accord with County Council standards.

15. Travel information packs to be developed for each dwelling. 

16. SSSI management plan. 

17. Access  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The erection of a new farmyard complex comprising a 4000 tonne grain store, straw barn, workshop and two smaller grain storage buildings.  There will be a concrete apron area and weighbridge, with a new access track and entrance.  The proposal also includes a landscaping scheme.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P14/V2540/FUL to erect a new farmyard complex comprising a 4000 tonne grain store, a straw barn, a workshop and two smaller grain storage buildings, a concrete apron area and weighbridge, a new access track and entrance and landscaping, all on land east of Drayton Road, Drayton.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

David Russell spoke in objection to the application about:

·         the development would be visually intrusive

·         there would be additional traffic onto the local roads

·         the traffic would be large agricultural vehicles

Bill Bird, the applicant’s agent, spoke in favour of the application:

·         after talking to the Drayton 20:20 neighbourhood plan committee this site was chosen as the best location for this application

·         the colours of the building were designed to blend into the landscape

·         noise mitigation measures had been agreed by the council’s Environmental Protection team

·         there would be no more traffic than the current farm operation

Councillor Richard Webber, the local ward member, spoke against the application:

·         the access was onto a narrow, bending road with a 40mph limit

·         the county council should visit the site and reconsider its highways comments

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covering the following points:

·         the committee’s ability to influence design did not apply to agricultural buildings

·         traffic would not increase

·         the site access was on the outside of the bend and had resulted in no objections from the highways authority

·         there would be slow-moving agricultural vehicles turning into and out of the site onto the narrow road; the highways authority should re-visit this application

·         any new top soil being brought to the site to facilitate this development would require the county council’s approval

·         there was no reference to the Drayton Neighbourhood Plan in the officer’s report

RESOLVED (14 votes to nil) 

To defer consideration of application P14/V2540/FUL to allow:

1.    the officers to reconsider the application in the light of the Drayton Neighbourhood Plan;

2.    the county council highways authority the opportunity to re-visit this application; and

3.    clarification on whether the county council’s permission is required for the applicant to bring top soil to the site. 

Erection of new support building and office with associated plant and hard standing. Relocation of existing wind farm and Term Contractor's compound.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P14/V2478/FUL to erect a new support building and office with associated plant and hard standing, and relocate existing wind farm and contractor’s compound on land adjacent to Building R40 at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covering the following points:

·         there should be an additional condition to ensure there was sufficient growing medium within the car park area to allow trees on the site to grow

·         the officers would check whether an environmental impact assessment was required on this development

·         the proposal was of good design

·         despite it being within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it was in an established scientific research and employment site

RESOLVED (14 votes to nil) 

To approve planning permission on application P14/V2478/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

1. Commencement three years - full planning permission.
2. Approved plans.
3. Samples of materials.
4. Parking and turning areas in accordance with submitted plans.
5. Tree protection details to be submitted and approved.
6. Landscaping scheme, including details of the screen planting, to be submitted and approved.
7. Implementation of landscaping scheme.
8. Implementation of scheme of mitigation in habitat report.
9. Submission of method statement for deposition of excavated soil.
10. Details of any external lighting to be submitted for approval.
11. Submission of detailed sustainable drainage scheme. 
12. To ensure there was sufficient growing medium within the car park area to allow trees on the site to grow

Erection of a new single storey energy efficient dwelling.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P14/V2894/FUL to erect a new single storey dwelling at Court Farm House, Letcombe Bassett.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

Barry Jameson spoke in objection to the application about:

·         the development would cause a precedent in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         the proposal did not conserve or enhance this part of the village and was close to four listed buildings

·         the design did not suit the area

Councillor St John Dickson, the local ward member, spoke in favour of the application:

·         the council’s conservation officer no longer had any concerns

·         there would be no adverse impact on the Conservation Area, the listed buildings, or the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers and considered that no precedent would be created.  As the conservation officer no longer had any concerns and there would be no adverse impact on the Conservation Area, the listed buildings, or the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the application should be approved. 

RESOLVED (14 votes to nil) 

To approve planning permission on application P14/V2894/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

1.    Time limit.

2.    Approved plans.

3.    Materials (samples).

4.    Slab levels.

5.    Drainage details.

6.   Boundary details.

7.    Access, turning and parking in accordance with plan.

8.   Permitted development restriction on extensions and outbuildings.

Demolition of existing rear conservatory.  Erection of a single storey rear extension.

The officer presented the report on application P14/V2791/HH to demolish and existing rear conservatory and erect a single storey rear extension at 11 The Green, Shrivenham.  Consultations, representations, policy and guidance and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting. 

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covering the following points:

·         the local ward member supported the parish council’s objection to the application

·         there was no reason to refuse this application

RESOLVED (14 votes to nil) 

To approve planning permission on application P14/V2791/HH, subject to the following conditions:

1 : Time limit - Full Application (Full).

2 : Approved plans.

3 : Materials in Accordance with application (Full).