Agenda item

70 bed care home, associated car parking, external works and landscaping.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P15/V1671/FUL for a 70 bed care home, associated car parking, external works and landscaping at Chawley Park and 195/195A Cumnor Hill, Oxford.

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 this meeting.

Steve Viner, a representative of Cumnor Parish Council, spoke objecting to the application. His concerns included the following:

·         There was overprovision of this type of development in the locality;

·         Light pollution, noise and odours;

·         The development massive and intrusive and would dominate the street scene;

·         Inadequate vehicular access to the site; and

·         Concerns about evacuation in an emergency.

Dr Chris Westcott, a local resident, spoke objecting to the application. His concerns included the following:

·         The size of the development was not appropriate for a rural location;

·         The design was not in keeping with the local environment;

·         The building would be in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week causing disturbance by way of, noise, fumes and light pollution;

·         Staff and medical practitioners would be driving to and from the site early in the morning and late and night; and

·         The drainage system was inadequate.

Stephen Pennington, representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application:

·         There was a chronic shortage of good quality care homes locally and nationally;

·         The proposal had been subject to two pre-application consultations, a public exhibition and consideration by the architects’ panel;

·         The applicant’s offer to present the proposals to the parish council had been declined; and

·         The new building was some distance from residential properties and there would be landscaping and screening to mitigate the effects.

Councillor Judy Roberts, the local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application and stated that Cumnor Parish Council had not been offered a presentation by the applicant.  Her concerns included the following:

·         The 3 storey building was too close to residential properties;

·         The development was overdominant and could be seen from the green belt;

·         The proposal represented a change of use from C3 to C2; and;

·         Another care home would put additional pressure on local GP services.

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate; the discussion covered the following points:

·         Environmental health had no objections about noise and odours and the highways authority had no objections about parking and access, subject to conditions and a S106 agreement for travel plan monitoring;

·         Thames Water had no objections subject to a Grampian condition;

·         External lighting would be low level;

·         Conversion from C3 to C2 use was acceptable in principle.  The committee had to determine whether the design was acceptable; and

·         A number of members referred to other care homes in the area.  They all stated that local residents’ initial concerns about noise and nuisance had been unfounded.

RESOLVED (for 10; against 0, abstentions 1)

That authority to grant planning permission for application P15/ V1671/FUL is delegated to the head of planning, subject to:

1.     a legal agreement or unilateral undertaking being entered into in order to secure the travel plan monitoring fee; and

2.     the following conditions:

1.     Commencement three years - full planning permission.

2.     Approved plans.

3.     Slab levels.

4.     Samples of materials to be approved

5.     Details of access and vision splays to be approved and implemented.

6.     Details of cycle storage to be approved and implemented.

7.     Construction traffic management plan to be approved and implemented.

8.     Parking to be provided as plan.

9.     Updated travel plan to be approved and implemented.

10.  Fully detailed sustainable surface water drainage scheme that is in accordance with a flood risk assessment to be appoved and implemented.

11.  Drainage strategy and on/off site works before development commences.

12.  Piling method statement.

13.  Contaminted land risk assessment phased condition.

14.  Bat mitigitation works.

15.  Landscaping scheme (submission).

16.  Landscaping scheme (implement).

17.  Tree protection in accordance with arboricultural method statement.

18.  Details of all boundary treatments/fencing to be approved and implemented.

19.  Details of external lighitng to be approved.