Agenda and draft minutes

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

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

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

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Cheryl Briggs and Jill Rayner.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2024.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 27 March 2024 as a correct record and agree that the Chair sign these as such.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive notification of any matters which the chair 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 the members of the public who had registered to speak at the meeting.

Demolition of existing house and erection of two detached dwellings. (As amplified by additional tree protection information received 18 January 2024, and as amended by plan raising rooflight sill height received 23 February 2024, and as amended by plan redrawing application boundary to meet public highway received 4 March 2024 and updated application form received 6 March 2024.)

The committee considered planning application P23/V2226/FUL for the demolition of existing house and erection of two detached dwellings. (As amplified by additional tree protection information received 18 January 2024, and as amended by plan raising rooflight sill height received 23 February 2024, and as amended by plan redrawing application boundary to meet public highway received 4 March 2024 and updated application form received 6 March 2024.) at Gateways, Harcourt Hill, Oxford, OX2 9AS.

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 introduced the report and highlighted that the application sought permission for two 4-bedroom dwellings. The planning officer highlighted that there was a correction required to the plans list condition. Plans OP1001, OP1002, OP1003 and OP1004, which were drafts, were to be removed as condition 6 secured a tree protection plan and methodology which superseded the draft plans.

The planning officer informed the committee that there had been a series of applications on the site. She went on to inform the committee that three of these applications sought to subdivide the site and all of the previous applications had been refused and subsequently dismissed at appeal. The basis for which these applications had been refused centred around design, scale, conflicts between the layout and established character and impact on amenity.

The planning officer advised the committee of the character of Harcourt Hill being made up of large dwellings set in spacious plots and being broken up with planting on the frontages and gardens. The planning officer confirmed that the committee report set out why the proposal before the committee, having been assessed on its own merits, complied with policy. She detailed that the proposal was of a similar height to other properties in the area, the removal of garages from the proposal opened up the frontage in keeping with the area and the accommodation and windows in the roof as previously proposed had been removed. The planning officer went on to advise that the proposed properties now read as two storey dwellings and the space around the dwellings ensured trees could be retained. In coming to this conclusion, the planning officer confirmed regard had been had to policies CP37 of the adopted local plan, HS1 and HS2 of the North Hinksey Neighbourhood Plan and the character assessment which underpins it and the general built form principles of the joint design guide.

The planning officer confirmed it was officers’ opinion that whilst the proposed dwellings were narrower and deeper than neighbouring properties, these differences respected the local character and would contribute positively to the mix of dwellings in the local area without detracting from the established character.

The planning officer also advised that an additional condition was proposed in relation to levels on the site. Whilst both dwellings were below 8.4 metres in height with neighbourhood plan policy requiring them to be below 12 metres, due to the ground level  ...  view the full minutes text for item 104.

Reserved Matters application relating to Phase 1T of Outline Planning Permission P14/V2873/O for scale, layout, landscape and appearance comprising 246 new homes with associated infrastructure with 35% affordable housing. (As amplified by additional information 9 January 2023 and amended by plans dated 3 July 2023, 26 September 2023 15 November 2023, 7 December 2023, 5 February, 14 February, 1 March and 26 March 2024).

(Outline planning application for a residential development of up to 4,254 dwellings, mixed-use local centres, primary schools, sports pitches, community and leisure facilities, special needs school, open space and extensive green infrastructure, hard and soft landscaping, attenuation areas, diversions to public rights of way, pedestrian and vehicular access and associated works).

The committee considered planning application P22/V2744/RM for Reserved Matters application relating to Phase 1T of Outline Planning Permission P14/V2873/O for scale, layout, landscape and appearance comprising 246 new homes with associated infrastructure with 35% affordable housing. (As amplified by additional information 9 January 2023 and amended by plans dated 3 July 2023, 26 September 2023, 15 November 2023, 7 December 2023, 5 February, 14 February, 1 March and 26 March 2024). (Outline planning application for a residential development of up to 4,254 dwellings, mixed-use local centres, primary schools, sports pitches, community and leisure facilities, special needs school, open space and extensive green infrastructure, hard and soft landscaping, attenuation areas, diversions to public rights of way, pedestrian and vehicular access and associated works), on land at Phase 1 Valley Park, Didcot.

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 introduced the report and highlighted that since the publication of the agenda there were two updates to consultee responses. He confirmed that the landscape officer had responded with no objections. He also advised that the most up to date Environment Agency response was received on the 12 February 2024 and it was satisfied that the modelling provided would ensure the site was not at risk of flooding. As such the Environment Agency found the proposal to be acceptable subject to condition 9 requiring improvement works to local brooks.

The planning officer informed the committee that access to the site would be from a signalised junction on the A4130. He advised that the application sought permission for 246 dwellings and the matters to be considered were internal access arrangements, appearance, landscaping and scale. The planning officer confirmed that the proposal accorded with the approved strategic design code for the site.

The planning officer informed the committee that the application sought to deliver a strong frontage with 4 storey buildings at the entrance dropping to 3 storey as you moved further into the site. He advised that all road widths within the site met with the strategic design code as agreed by the local highways authority. The planning officer informed the committee that parking for flats would be provided in courtyards and for dwellings on the main road frontage, as car ports. He further advised that the proposal provided 35 per cent affordable housing in accordance with policy and that this was distributed across the site in clusters as supported by the affordable housing officer.

The planning officer informed the committee that sections of the site were located in flood zone 2 and that there was a condition on the outline permission that no built development should take place within flood zones 2 or 3.  However, in light of the flood modelling the applicant had undertaken and presented to the Environment Agency they were satisfied that flood water would remain within watercourses. The applicant could apply to the Environment Agency to have the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

To receive the report from the Head of Planning.

The report updates the committee on Council appeal performance from April 2020 to the end of March 2023, appeals started in March 2024, and decisions received in March 2024.

Recommendation:

To note the Council’s appeal performance.

The committee received the appeals information report, presented by the head of planning. This report detailed the Council’s appeal performance from April 2020 to end of March 2023, the appeals started in March 2024, and the appeal decisions received in March 2024.

The head of planning highlighted that the report would be a regular item for the committee to note. He highlighted the strong performance of the council against national averages.

The committee asked for lessons learnt from recent appeals to be included in upcoming training to members.

The committee were satisfied with the report and agreed to note the appeal information report.