Agenda item

Mixed use redevelopment comprising up to 400 dwellings (C3), 110,000m2 of Class B2/B8 units, 25,000m2 of Class B1 units, 13,000m2 Class A1 units (includes 1,500m2 convenience food store), 150 bed Class C1 hotel and 500m2 of Class A3/A4 pub/restaurant, including link road, related open space, landscaping and drainage infrastructure, together with reservation of land for link road and Science Bridge.  Cross boundary application Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P15/V1304/O. This is a mixed use redevelopment comprising up to 400 dwellings (C3), 110,000ms of Class B2/B8 units, 25,000m2 of Class B1 units, 13,000m2 Class A1 units (includes 1,500m2 convenience food store), 150 bed Class C1 hotel and 500m2 of Class A3/A4 pub/restaurant, including link road, related open space, landscaping and drainage infrastructure, together with reservation of land for link road and Science Bridge. This is a major cross boundary application between Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire for a mixed use site.

Consultations, representations, policy and guidance, and the site’s planning history were detailed in the offer’s report and addendum, which formed part of the agenda pack for this meeting.

Both Sutton Courtenay Parish Council and Didcot Town Council had objected.

The application is for outline development and access to the site with all other matters being reserved.

Update: paragraph 6.69 correction, updated in the addendum report.

This is not a site under the current local plan but is proposed under the emerging local plan.

The officers had agreed a 32 percent affordable housing rate with the applicant to effect viability.

James Hicks (Pegasus Group) the agent for the application spoke in favour of the application.

Councillor Janet Shelley, one of the ward members, spoke to support the views of Harwell Parish Council.

The committee asked the officers matters of clarification.

·           Housing and employment needs were worked up through the local plan, and were not specific to this application.

·           Issues of cycle and road network would be dealt with at the reserved matters stage, but county council highways department were content with the outline highways proposals.

·           There is no plan for a development forum.

·           The proposed science bridge is not required particularly for this site.

·           Air quality: the railway would be electrified and there were conditions to protect residents in terms of noise protection and mitigation and a site wide construction environmental management plan. Environmental health officers are satisfied with the conditions.

·           The housing will be general market housing with the 32 percent affordable housing.

·           Contaminated land investigation: the developers are currently confident of the clean up costs and, therefore, the viability costs.

A motion was proposed and seconded to accept the officer’s recommendation.

The committee debated the motion and raised the following:

·           This is on a brownfield site.

·           The balance of housing compared to the number of people employed on the site.

·           SHMA number includes housing requirements for economic growth.

·           This development is contained within the emerging local plan.

·           It is a in a sustainable location.

·           The importance of the science bridge was raised.

RESOLVED (Unanimous)