Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Ridgeway, The Beacon, Portway, Wantage, OX12 9BY

Contact: Nicola Meurer, Democratic Services Officer 

Items
No. Item

184.

Chairman's announcements

To receive any announcements from the chairman, and general housekeeping matters.

Minutes:

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

Following his announcements, the chairman read out a statement concerning a complaint from Cumnor Parish Council; in summary, in making certain remarks about back land development in Cumnor at planning committee on 25 October 2017, there was no intention to indicate a bias in his or other committee members’ approach to planning applications.

185.

Apologies for absence

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

Minutes:

Councillors Robert Hall and Chris McCarthy had submitted their apologies for absence. Councillors St.John Dickson and Julia Reynolds attended as substitutes.

186.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 193 KB

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2018. 

Minutes:

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the committee meeting held on 18 April 2018 as a correct record and agree that the chairman signs them as such.

187.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

Minutes:

Councillor Julia Reynolds declared that in relation to application P17/V2479/RM – King Alfred School, East Springfield Road, Wantage, she would be stepping down for the consideration of the item as she is the chairman of Wantage Town Council Planning Committee and was present for the consideration of this item.

188.

Urgent business

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent. 

Minutes:

The development manager advised committee that application P18/V0301/FUL – land east of Milton Hill, Abingdon, was deferred to allow the applicants to address objections raised.

189.

Public participation

To receive any statements from members of the public that have registered to speak on planning applications which are being presented to this committee meeting. 

Minutes:

The list showing members of the public who had registered to speak was tabled at the meeting.

190.

P17/V2479/RM - King Alfred School, East Springfield Road, Wantage pdf icon PDF 389 KB

A reserved matters application to determine layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for the development of 150 dwellings.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillors St.John Dickson and Julia Reynolds stepped down from committee and took no part in the debate or voting for this item.

 

The committee considered reserved matters application P17/V2479/RM to determine the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for the development of 150 dwellings at King Alfred School, East Springfield Road, 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.

 

Officer update: Wantage Town Council have raised no objections to the application; four additional objections from residents have been received which raise matters already addressed in the committee reports; and an extra condition is recommended for details of the footpath link to Charlton Road to the north of the site to be submitted prior to commencement.

 

Alun Bunney, Bernard Connelly and Leone Smith spoke objecting to the application. 

 

Mike Robinson, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application.

 

St.John Dickson, one of the local ward councillors, spoke to the application. 

 

In response to questions raised by the committee, the officers reported that:

·         The total number of car parking spaces across the development exceeds policy requirements;

·         The minimum back to back distance between upper floor rear facing habitable windows of 21 metres has been met across the scheme and it is therefore compliant with the design guide;

·         While part of open space provision for the scheme includes an attenuation pond area, it would be useable as a recreational space outside of times of flooding (one in thirty-year events) and therefore on balance is acceptable;

·         A condition is included for lighting arrangements within the site;

·         A request for native deciduous trees to be included in the landscaping scheme was noted by officers;

·         Permitted development can be restricted on the land between plot numbers 80 and 81; and

·         Members requested that the agent make contact with the residents of 32 Fyfield Close with regards to boundary treatments, which was noted by officers.

 

A motion, moved and seconded, to approve the application with the extra conditions for a footpath link and permitted development restrictions detailed above, was declared carried on being put to the vote.

 

RESOLVED: to grant planning permission for application P17/V2479/RM, subject to the following conditions:

 

1.    Approved plans.

2.    Material details to be agreed.

3.    Boundary details to be agreed.

4.    Traffic calming details to be agreed.

5.    Details of play area to be agreed including boundary fencing.

6.    Landscape details – including additional planting and replacement planting to be agreed.

7.    Sustainable drainage scheme in accordance with updated flood risk assessment to be agreed.

8.    Slab level details to be agreed.

9.    Street lighting details to be agreed.

10. Parking and turning areas in accordance with plans.

11. Hours of construction work.

12. Obscure glazing to upper floor side-facing bathroom windows where necessary.

13. Details of the footpath link to Charlton Road to the north of the site to be submitted, prior to commencement.

14. Permitted development restriction on land between plot  ...  view the full minutes text for item 190.

191.

P18/V0301/FUL - Land east of Milton Hill, Abingdon pdf icon PDF 464 KB

** THIS APPLICATION HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THIS AGENDA AND WILL BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER DATE **

 

Variation of condition 2 of planning permission P16/V2900/FUL (development comprising 458 dwellings with associated public open space, infrastructure and improved sports facilities. Reservation of land for future primary school expansion).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

This application was deferred from consideration at planning committee on 9 May 2018, to allow the applicants to address an objection that has been made.

192.

P17/V1154/LB - Steventon Overbridge, High Street ,Steventon pdf icon PDF 467 KB

Demolition of listed railway overbridge, and provision of replacement bridge. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The committee considered listed building consent application P17/V1154/LB to demolish the Grade II listed railway overbridge on the High Street, Steventon and provide a replacement bridge.

 

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.

 

Officers were joined by the following, to help with any questions from committee:

·         Sally Stradling, Conservation and Design Officer for Vale of White Horse District Council;

·         Richard Warren, Strategic Manager for Oxfordshire County Council; and

·         Cathy Champion, Principle Infrastructure Officer, Oxfordshire County Council.

 

Dr. Chris Wilding, a representative of Steventon Parish Council, spoke objecting to the application. 

 

Robert Green spoke objecting to the application. 

 

The following spoke in support of the application:

·         Colin Field, Town Planning Manager, Western & Wales Network Rail;

·         Nick Preston, Senior Sponsor, Western Route Network Rail; and

·         Alastair Byers, Consents Manager, Western Route Network Rail.

 

Matthew Barber, the local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application. 

 

In response to questions raised by the committee, the officers reported that:

·         The option of lowering the tracks to enable the retention of the bridge was deemed unsuitable due to the Environment Agency’s assessment of the site being in flood zone 3, which is characterised as a functional flood plain. Committee were advised that there is an option to defer the application to further explore the track lowering and flooding mitigation.

·         From a conservation perspective, bridge lifting would not be appropriate as this could harm the integrity of the bridge structure.

·         Oxfordshire County Council would work with Network Rail to ensure that the temporary diversion to enable the demolition of the existing bridge and construction of a new bridge would be of minimal disruption as possible and that local business owners and residents would be involved in discussions.

 

Committee members were not satisfied with the evidence presented in regard to justifying the demolition of the bridge; members requested further investigations into alternative options, such as track lowering and associated flood mitigation before they could assess the application fully. Members were also of the view that the applicants had not sufficiently demonstrated the substantial impact on the railway network if speed restrictions were put in place to allow trains to pass under the existing structure.

 

A motion, moved and seconded, to defer the application was declared carried on being put to the vote.

 

RESOLVED: to defer application P17/V1154/LB for listed building consent for further investigations to take place into the technical impacts of flooding as a result of track lowering.

 

 

 

 

 

193.

P18/V0240/LB - Beaulieu Court Cottage, Pen Lane, Sunningwell pdf icon PDF 163 KB

Extensive internal and external works and upgrading of Grade II listed dwelling.

Minutes:

The committee considered application P18/V0240/LB for extensive internal and external works and upgrading of Grade II listed Beaulieu Court Cottage, Pen Lane, Sunningwell.

 

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.

 

A motion, moved and seconded, to approve the application was declared carried on being put to the vote.

 

RESOLVED: to grant listed building consent for application P18/V0240/LB, subject to the following conditions:

 

1.    Commencement within three years.

2.    Development completed in accordance with approved plans.

3.    Details and materials in accordance with application.

 

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