Agenda item

Outline planning application for the demolition of existing dwelling, and residential development (Class C3) of up to 19 dwellings; with associated car parking, turning, public open space, landscaping, and access arrangements - external access not reserved.

Janet Shelley, one of the local ward councillors, stepped down from the committee. She took no part in the debate or voting for this item. A motion, moved and seconded, to nominate Ben Mabbett to act as chairman for this item was declared carried on being put to the vote.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P17/V0348/O for outline planning permission for a residential development of up to 19 dwellings with associated car parking, turning, public open space, landscaping and access arrangements; to include the demolition of the existing dwelling at Long Reach, Didcot Road, Harwell, Didcot.

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.

The addendum report included an additional response from the highways authority, commenting on the matter of an additional access on to the B4493 being acceptable.

Mike Fox Davies, a representative of Harwell Parish Council, spoke objecting to the application. His concerns included the following:

·         The parish council are objecting on the grounds of access and highways;

·         They would like to ensure connectivity with Valley Park from the start; and

·         The parish council believe that highways have made an error in their visibility splay calculations which do not take into account the correct speeds on the B4493.

Mark Pettitt, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application. His points included the following:

·         This site is within the strategic allocation of the Valley Park development;

·         The proposal can demonstrate that a good mix of housing can be accommodated on the site, including six affordable units;

·         There are no technical or environmental constraints;

·         There are no objections from highways; and

·         The overall impact of traffic will be negligible for this size of development; and

·         The issue of connectivity has been addressed in their submission, on the indicative layout there are two potential sites to the south west where it could connect with Valley Park; and

·         In response to concerns for the loss of trees on site, the applicants have been liaising with the Forestry Officer to retain 18 out of 55 trees, thus conserving a third.

Janet Shelley, one of the local ward councillors, spoke objecting to the application. Her concerns included the following:

·         Support for the parish council regarding the vision splays; and

·         Concern for the increase of traffic once the additional link road is constructed in Hagbourne.

Questions of clarification were put to the officers and responded to as follows:

·         Highways have been consulted twice on visibility splays and therefore a different response should they be consulted further would be unlikely to yield a different response;

·         The development manager highlighted the informative within the officer’s report stipulating that the under-provision of amenity space, housing mix and impact on ecology and trees are not acceptable, but can be addressed at the reserved matters stage.

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate.

A motion, moved and seconded, to authorise the head of planning to grant planning permission was declared carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to authorise the head of planning to grant planning permission for application P17/V0348/O, subject to:

1.    A section 106 legal agreement being entered into to secure financial contributions towards primary and secondary schools and to secure 35% affordable housing; and

2.    Conditions summarised as follows:

Compliance

1.    Outline time limit (three years).

2.    Reserved matters.

3.    Implementation.

4.    Approved plans.

5.    Housing mix.

Details to be approved prior to commencement

6.    Tree protection.

7.    Sustainable drainage scheme.

8.    Slab levels.

9.    Scheme of archaeological investigation.

10. Archaeological evaluation and mitigation.

11. Ecology mitigation.

Details to be approved prior to occupation

12.Access in accordance with approved plans.

Informative

The submitted illustrative layout is not considered to respond to the constraints of the site and raises issues of some under provision of private amenity space, inappropriate housing mix and impacts for ecology and trees. As such the illustrative layout is not acceptable and any reserved matters application should address these points.