Agenda and draft minutes

The chairman outlined the emergency evacuation arrangements and the procedure for the meeting.

The Chairman advised the meeting that owing to the absence of Councillor Val Shaw at this meeting it would be necessary to appoint a vice chairman for the meeting.

A motion moved and seconded, to appoint a vice chairman for the meeting was declared carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: that Councillor Janet Shelley be appointed vice chairman for the duration of the meeting.

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

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Robert Maddison and Val Shaw.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 8 January 2020. 

RESOLVED: to adopt the minutes of the committee meeting held on 8 January 2020 as a correct record and agree that the chair signs them as such.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

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. 

There was no urgent business.

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. 

The committee noted the list of public registered to speak at the meeting.

Retrospective application to regularise public realm works in connection with applications P07/V0741/O and P13/V0817/RM, including changes to approved roads and footpaths, parking areas, hard and soft landscaping, boundaries, recycling storage facilities, vehicle access prevention to Tilbury Lane, and surface water drainage.  (As amended by plans and information received 19 June 2019 and 5 August 2019).

The committee considered application P19/V0023/FUL for a retrospective application to regularise public realm works in connection with applications P07/V0741/O and P13/V0817/RM, including changes to approved roads and footpaths, parking areas, hard and soft landscaping, boundaries, recycling storage facilities, vehicle access prevention to Tilbury Lane, and surface water drainage (as amended by plans and information received 19 June 2019 and 5 August 2019) at Tilbury Fields, off Bushy Close, Botley, OX2 9SH.

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 the meeting.

The planning officer reported that Councillor Debby Hallett, a local ward councillor, had called in this application. The committee was asked to consider the application to regularise public realm works within the site which differed from the approved scheme. The proposals had received outline planning permission in 2012, with Reserved Matters approval in 2013. Following commencement of work on the site, there had been numerous enforcement investigations relating to non-compliance, and it was clear that the scheme could no longer be fully implemented. The enforcement team had been in discussion with the applicant, who had submitted the application to resolve the outstanding enforcement matters.

The planning officer advised the committee that Cumnor Parish Council had published the draft policies for their Neighbourhood Plan.  This was an updated position to that set out on page 20 of the agenda.  The planning officer explained that given this was still at an early stage in the process the daft policies could only be given limited weight.  A diagram was displayed illustrating this and all members of the committee received a copy of this in advance of the meeting.  The planning officer confirmed that the status of the Neighbourhood Plan policies would not change their recommendation.  

With the assistance of a slideshow presentation, the planning officer summarised changes to the site since January 2019. The spine road had had a change in surface, providing improved drainage and landscaping. The Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and the council’s flood engineers were satisfied that the scheme was working satisfactorily. It was noted that OCC had been discussing the condition of the roads with the developer.

It was reported that a larger bin store had been installed for apartment block C. Bollards had been installed in Hope Way and the emergency bollards alongside Tilbury Lane were in place. Bollards were made of wood, not metal, as originally intended. There was a revised drainage system, as an alternative to that which had been previously agreed.

In respect of landscaping, it was reported that the boundary treatment had changed. In some areas there were close boarded fences, as opposed to brick walls. Changes to hard and soft landscaping and the car parking around the area of play and an adjacent footpath all required regularisation. In the main square four trees had been planted and a bench installed. Road marking, to delineate parking spaces and the road route had been completed, along with traffic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.

Demolition of the existing bungalow and erection of a pair of semi-detached houses. (Amended plans for revised scheme, including details of proposed garage, received 14 October 2019). (Amended plans for revised layout: revised block and site plan received 28 October 2019. (As amended by plans received 25 November 2019).

The committee considered application P19/V1804/FUL for the demolition of the existing bungalow and erection of a pair of semi-detached houses (amended plans for revised scheme, including details of proposed garage, received 14 October 2019), (amended plans for revised layout: revised block and site plan received 28 October 2019, (as amended by plans received 25 November 2019), at 22 Norreys Road, Cumnor, Oxford, OX2 9PG

Consultations, representations, policy and guidance, and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report, which formed part of the which formed part of the agenda pack for the meeting.

The planning officer reported that the application had been brought to planning committee at the request of one of the local ward councillors, Judy Roberts.

The chairman reported that members of the committee had recently attended a site visit at the application site.

The planning officer provided an on the status of the neighbourhood plan, which was an update to the information contained in the committee report. 

The consultation on the draft neighbourhood plan commenced on 3 January 2020 and would conclude on 14 February 2020.  This process had occurred close to the deadline for the publication of committee papers, thus the need now to update the committee with the latest information. The situation had moved from the plan drafting stage to the pre-submission consultation stage; the draft neighbourhood plan could now be afforded limited weight, as opposed to very limited weight. The planning officer referred to the chart previously shown to the committee. The slide on screen indicated the stage of the emerging neighbourhood plan in the context of moving towards adoption.  The committee noted that the more advanced the emerging plan, the greater the weight that could be afforded to it. The committee was also made aware that it was not until the Council had decided to progress the referendum that significant weight might be attached. Only post-referendum could full weight be given.

Information on the status of the draft neighbourhood plan had been circulated to members of the committee, together with the relevant draft policies of the Cumnor draft neighbourhood plan.  The committee was advised that neighbourhood plan policies were expected to be in general conformity with the adopted local plan and the NPPF, so there would not be significant divergence in the requirements of the relevant draft neighbourhood policies.

The planning officer noted concerns from local residents, which included character and design, as well as impact on local character. Neighbour impact was also a valid point of objection. The planning officer reported that officers considered that the traditional design of the dwellings would be in keeping with the character of the area and would not affect its spacious character.

The planning officer was satisfied that the development would not be overbearing, and whilst it would inevitably give rise to some loss of light to the adjoining properties, the rear of the dwelling would be set 3.3m from the boundary, so as to reduce its impact, particularly to the conservatory of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.