Agenda and minutes

To record the attendance of Substitute Members, if any, who have been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 17(1), with notification having been given to the proper Officer before the start of the meeting and to receive apologies for absence.

The attendance of a Substitute Member who had been authorised to attend in accordance with the Provisions of Standing Order 17(1) was recorded as referred to above with an apology for absence having been received from Councillor Matthew Barber.

To receive any declarations of Personal or Personal and Prejudicial Interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

In accordance with Part 2 of the Local Code of Conduct and the provisions of Standing Order 34, any Member with a personal interest must disclose the existence and nature of that interest to the meeting prior to the matter being debated.  Where that personal interest is also a prejudicial interest, then the Member must withdraw from the room in which the meeting is being held and not seek improperly to influence any decision about the matter unless he/she has obtained a dispensation from the Standards Committee.

Members declared interests in report 228/05 – Planning Applications as follows: -

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, and to receive any announcements from the Chair.

The Chair reminded members of the public and councillors to switch off their mobile telephones during the meeting.

Any statements and/or petitions from the public under Standing Order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

None.

Any questions from members of the public under Standing Order 32 will be asked at the meeting.

None.

Any statements and/or petitions from members of the public under Standing Order 33, relating to planning applications, will be made or presented at the meeting.

It was noted that three members of the public had each given notice that they wished to make a statement during the meeting.

To consider any materials submitted prior to the meeting of the Committee.

ANY MATERIALS SUBMITTED WILL BE ON DISPLAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING.

The Committee received and considered materials in respect of the following: -

Plot 9, Land west of Didcot Power Station (HAR/12063/22-D)

Members had concerns regarding the possible reflective nature of the proposed walling material and requested that a larger sample be provided on site so that it could be viewed in context, together with a second choice of walling material in case the former was found unacceptable.

By 17 votes to nil it was

RESOLVED

(a)        that the applicant be requested to erect a sample panel of the submitted walling material on site, together with a panel of an alternative material;

(b)        that the use of the following be approved: -

Lodged

The following appeal has been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate:-

Appeal by DEPI Limited against the Council’s decision to refuse to permit the demolition of out buildings and erection of 2 x 2 bedroom dwelling on land to the rear of 81 Ock Street, Abingdon (ABG/19358).

Allowed

The following appeal has been allowed by the Planning Inspectorate: -

Appeal by Mr S Harrison against the Council’s decision to refuse to permit the formation of a new access via existing junction on land adjoining Swinford Park, Oxford Road, Farmoor (CUM/12445/1).  The decision to refuse permission was made by the Chief Executive under powers delegated to him under the Scheme of Delegation.  A copy of the decision notice is attached.  No reference to costs was made with the appeal decision.

Recommendation

that the agenda report be received.

The Committee received and considered an agenda item which advised of one appeal which had been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate for determination and one which had been allowed.

RESOLVED

that the agenda report be received.

A list of forthcoming public inquiries and hearings is presented.

Recommendation

that the report be received.

The Committee received and considered details of forthcoming public inquiries and hearings.

In response to a question raised it was explained it was necessary to monitor the number of inquiries and hearings and therefore their details remained on the schedule until the end of the monitoring period.

RESOLVED

that the report be received.

The Committee received and considered report 22/05 of the Assistant Director (Planning) detailing planning applications, the decisions of which are set out below.  Applications where members of the public had given notice that they wished to make a statement were considered first.

Councillor Terry Cox had declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 he remained in the meeting during its consideration.

A model of the proposal together with the application drawings were displayed at the meeting.  

Further to the report, Members were advised that the access would be dealt with as a separate reserve matter at a later stage.  In addition, it was reported that there was a footpath across the site, which would also be dealt with at a later stage.

Members were also advised that it had been discovered that there were bats in the barns and a badger set in one corner of the development site. In this regard, the Committee’s attention was drawn to the comments of English Nature raising no objection to the proposal agreeing this as an exceptional case, subject to conditions.  It was explained that the bats would be dealt with in a sympathetic manner and the badger’s set would be moved to a new location outside of the development site.

Finally, the Committee was advised that the auditorium had now been omitted from the scheme, together with the three staff houses which would be the subject of a further application.

The scheme was described in detail it being explained that the elevations on the cruciform building had been amended to address the concerns raised by the residents of the neighbouring property.  There were to be no windows above ground floor on that gable end.

The Committee was advised that should it be minded to approve the application additional conditions should be added to address the detailing of the feature on the roof of the Chapel building which differed from that shown on the model.  It was considered that the square design of the features on the model was preferable.  Further details on this were to be sought.  Furthermore, a condition requesting additional brick detailing on the main elevations was suggested.

Finally the Committee was advised of an amendment to the report in that the last condition should require that the ecological survey should be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Mr T Gashe, the applicant’s agent made a statement in support of the application explaining that the proposed design was being suggested due to the constraints imposed, namely that all built development should be within the existing sites of the depot and Challow Park House and that a significant proportion of the trees should be retained.   He explained that the proposal would involve large buildings, but the intention had been to design the development using slopes and trees to ensure that none exceeded the height of Challow Park House.  With this in mind the auditorium had been omitted from the scheme at this stage.  He reported that due to the slope of the site and the tree coverage there would be no adverse visual impact and there would be interesting building forms and styles, roof lines, and modern buildings.  He reported  ...  view the full minutes text for item 276.

Councillor Peter Jones had declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 he remained in the meeting during its consideration.

The Committee was advised that further to the report representations had been received from County Councillor Lesley Legge raising concerns in terms of the proposal being over development and unsuitable for living accommodation due to inappropriate living space and lack of light.

Furthermore, the Environment Agency had raised concerns regarding flooding which needed to be addressed.

Mr C Davis made a statement raising concerns relating to matters already covered in the report.  He particularly raised concerns regarding noise despite the windows being fixed; lack of natural light; lack of direct sun light for 8 months of the year; restricted amenity space; inadequate living accommodation and cramped layout.  He accepted the needed to safeguard a listed structure but considered this proposal totally unacceptable.  However, he requested that should the Committee be minded to approve the applications, further conditions should be imposed requiring that the roof lights should be sealed shut in perpetuity; there should be no permitted development rights and hours of construction should be restricted.

Mr Cade the applicant made a statement in support of the applications commenting that the proposal was consistent with planning policy guidance and would result in 36 sq ms of living area which was larger than many of the flats in the area.  He commented that there was adequate living space but that the layout of it would be in a straight line.  There would be a significant amount of glazing amounting to 30 sq ms in total.  Concerns raised regarding noise had been addressed by the permanent closure of the roof lights.  A parking space was to be provided; building control regulations would be met and the National House Building Council had raised no concerns.  Finally he reported that there would be open windows to the court yard which would provide ventilation.

Some Members spoke in support of the applications, noting that there would be adequate living space albeit narrow in design.  To address concerns raised regarding noise it was considered that a condition to permanently seal the roof light was needed and that permitted development rights should be removed.  Furthermore it was considered that a condition regarding the ventilation to the bathroom and kitchen should be imposed to minimise noise from the equipment.

Some Members spoke against the applications raising concerns regarding overlooking; noise; access for emergency vehicles and maintenance of the wall.  Some concerns were expressed regarding the general quality of the amenity space and whether there was the possibility of over looking and loss of privacy.

In response the Officers advised that the living accommodation was acceptable and that the possibility of neighbours looking down through the proposed roof lights was restricted as the roof lights would slope away.

By 10 votes to 7 it was

RESOLVED

(a)        that the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair and/or Vice-Chair of the Development Control Committee be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 277.

The Committee was advised that should it be minded to approve the application the following should be agreed, namely that (1) Condition 3 set out in the report should be amended to delete reference to the south-west elevation; and (2) a further condition (standard condition RE14) should be added to require that the use of the garage be retained for car parking given that the application was for an increase in accommodation.

By 17 votes to nil it was

RESOLVED

that application ABG/19365 be approved subject to: -

(1)        the conditions set out in the report with condition 3 being amended to delete reference to the south-west elevation; and

(2)        a further condition (standard condition RE14) to require that the use of the garage is retained for car parking.

The local Member raised no objection to the proposal.

In response to a question raised, it was confirmed that the volume increases had been checked and that the proposal was within green belt volume increase restrictions.

17 votes to nil it was

RESOLVED

that application APT/2769/4 be approved subject to the conditions set out in the report.

None.

The meeting rose at  8.10pm.