Agenda and 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 Councillor Max Thompson, who was substituted for Councillor Paul Barrow, Councillor Cheryl Briggs, who was substituted for Councillor Sarah James, Councillor Jill Rayner, and Councillor Mike Pighills.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 24 July 2024. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 24 July 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.

Councillor Scott Houghton declared that he was ward member for item 7 on the agenda, P23/V0571/FUL. Councillor Houghton confirm that he 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 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 dwellinghouse. Erection of 2 no. detached dwellinghouses with associated works including landscaping. (As amplified by additional information received 19 March 2024 and amended plans and additional information received 2 May 2024 and as amended by plans received 22 July 2024).

The committee considered planning application P24/V0571/FUL for the demolition of existing dwellinghouse. Erection of 2 no. detached dwellinghouses with associated works including landscaping. (As amplified by additional information received 19 March 2024 and amended plans and additional information received 2 May 2024 and as amended by plans received 22 July 2024) on land at 16 Cumnor Hill, Oxford, OX2 9HA.

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 the application came before the committee as the result of a call in from a local ward member. The application sought permission for the demolition of the existing dwelling and erection of two dwellings. One of the proposed dwellings was in the approximate location of the existing dwelling with the second to the rear. He went on to inform the committee that the site was in an area designated in the neighbourhood plan as an area of low density and of special local character.

The planning officer informed the committee that the application site was on a significant slope from the south to the north down from Cumnor Hill to the rear of the site. The proposed dwellings each had parking to the front with the rear property also being served by a garage. The rear dwelling would be accessed via a new access road which would run between the new dwelling to the front of the site and the existing flats. As the rear dwelling would be built behind the existing frontage to Cumnor Hill, it represented backland development.

The planning officer demonstrated the elevations of the proposed dwellings advising of their two storey height with rooms in the roof with both being of a similar scale and appearance. Both bin stores and cycle parking were proposed although the cycle stores were not shown on the site plan and therefore a condition requiring details of the cycle store was recommended.

The planning officer showed a number of site photos to the committee and informed the committee that a proposed condition requiring details of vision splays was recommended due to concerns about the existing hedge obscuring the splays and affecting visibility. The planning officer illustrated the changing land levels across the site and the relationship the proposed dwellings would have to neighbouring properties.

The planning officer advised the committee that Cumnor Parish council and a number of residents had objected to the application. The main areas of objection were in relation to the impact of the development on the character of the area and the compliance with neighbourhood plan policies, the impact on neighbour amenity and the impact in terms of flood risk and the suitability of the proposed drainage. The planning officer confirmed that the development was backland development which policy DBC1 of the Cumnor Neighbourhood plan seeks to avoid where it undermines the strong character of the area.

The planning officer concluded that for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 140.

To receive the appeals information report from the head of planning.

Recommendation: to consider and note the appeals information report.

The committee received the appeals information report from the head of planning.

The committee agreed to note the report.