Agenda and minutes

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

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and outlined the meeting procedure to be followed. He also explained the emergency evacuation procedure.

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

There were no apologies for absence.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meetings held on 5 April 2023 and 18 April 2023.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meetings held on 5 April and 18 April 2023 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.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby declared that she was ward member for item 8 on the agenda, P23/V0134/O. Councillor Hannaby confirmed that she would stand down from the committee and not participate in the debate or vote for this item.

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. 

The Democratic Services Officer noted that item 7, P22/V2955/FUL, from the agenda had been withdrawn by the applicant and would therefore not be considered.

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.

APPLICATION WITHDRAWN AT APPLICANT REQUEST.

The construction and operation of an anaerobic digestion facility, ancillary infrastructure and an improved site access road from the A338, with offsite digestate lagoon.

APPLICATION WITHDRAWN AT APPLICANT’S REQUEST.

Outline application for a phased development for up to 669 residential units and Neighbourhood Centre (Use Class E and Sui Generis) with associated infrastructure and open space which is capable of coming forward in distinct and separate phases in a severable way.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby declared a non-registerable interest in this item as she was local ward member. She stood down from the committee during the consideration of this application and did not participate in the debate or vote.

The committee considered planning application P23/V0134/O for Outline application for a phased development for up to 669 residential units and Neighbourhood Centre (Use Class E and Sui Generis) with associated infrastructure and open space which was capable of coming forward in distinct and separate phases in a severable way at Land at Crab Hill, land north of A417 and east of A338 Wantage, OX12 7GQ.

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 related to an allocated strategic site in the Vale of White Horse district Local Plan 2031. Outline planning permission had been granted in 2015 for 1,500 dwellings and there had been three amendments to that application since. He highlighted that the most recent consent for the site was granted in January 2022. The planning officer informed the committee that there were still 635 dwellings yet to be submitted under a reserved matters application and that under the original outline consent these needed to be submitted by 13 July 2023. The applicant had indicated that this was not feasible. The planning officer highlighted that the application before the committee sought a new consent for the remaining 635 dwellings along with the remaining non-residential development. The applicant was also looking to optimise the site and sought approval of an additional 34 dwellings under this application taking the total number of dwellings applied for under this application up to 669 dwellings.

The planning officer informed the committee that the 635 dwellings, which had already been granted consent, would be delivered to the housing mix in accordance with the existing permission. The additional 34 dwellings applied for would be delivered in accordance with the adopted development plan. The planning officer confirmed that the density plan was as per the original scheme.

The planning officer informed the committee that the principle of development was established through the allocation of the site and the extant permission. He confirmed there had been no material changes in planning policy since the original permission. The planning officer informed the committee that the uplift in the number of proposed dwellings was acceptable for the reasons set out in the officer’s report and that the affordable housing team were in agreement with the proposal. He noted that the application was recommended for approval subject to the completion of a S106 legal agreement to secure existing contributions to be paid and additional contributions for the additional dwellings applied for.

Councillor Erik Johnson spoke on behalf of Wantage Town Council, objecting to the application.

Dinny Shaw, representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, a local ward councillor, spoke  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Erection of a new agriculture dwelling with landscaping and associated works (as amplified by LVIA, Landscaping scheme and supporting information received 3 February 2023, and by Agricultural Dwelling Needs Appraisal received 9 February 2023).

The committee considered planning application P22/V2219/FUL for erection of a new agriculture dwelling with landscaping and associated works (as amplified by LVIA, Landscaping scheme and supporting information received 3 February 2023, and by Agricultural Dwelling Needs Appraisal received 9 February 2023) at Land between Upton footpath and Upton Byway off Hollow Way, Hollow Way, Upton, OX11 9HP.

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 publication of the report an additional condition was recommended to ensure that tree protection measures were installed to protect the trees and vegetation along the boundaries of the site which provided important screening. A correction was also required to section 6.29 of the report to state that the Community Infrastructure Levy was adopted in 2021 not 2017.

The planning officer highlighted that the application had been made in association with land farmed by the Napper family whose wider farm spread across a number of the nearby villages. The application site was located to the south of Upton village and accessed via London Road, A417. The planning officer informed the committee that a cattle farm had recently been approved under permitted development and the application before them was to facilitate the expansion of that cattle farm as well as for succession planning to ensure the business was able to continue for generations to come. The planning officer noted that the application site was located in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with landscape constraints in the rural countryside and would not usually be a location where a new dwelling would be supported. The application would only be acceptable if the dwelling met all of the tests of being an agricultural dwelling. The planning officer advised that officers had considered the essential need for the dwelling, the availability of other more suitable sites, the economic viability of the rural enterprise, the size and scale of the proposed dwelling, and whether the design and location respected the landscape character of the area. The planning officer informed the committee that Alan Bloor from Reading Agricultural Consultants was available to answer any questions around the assessment process and policy requirements around agricultural dwellings.

The planning officer turned next to the landscape impact and noted that whilst there were long distance views from the site there was significant vegetation and screening. The planning officer highlighted that the ridge height of proposed dwelling was no higher than the existing barn. She noted that the existing barn was minimally visible from surrounding roads and that the proposed dwelling was set lower on the site due to the topography. The planning officer confirmed this had added weight to the officer’s assessment that the proposed dwelling would not harm the landscape setting or compromise the AONB. The planning officer recognised that concerns had been raised by the landscape officer but given the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.