Agenda item

Erection of a 65 bed care home and 50 extra care units (both within Use Class C2), parking, landscaping, access and other associated works.

The officer presented the report and addendum on application P17/V0813/FUL to erect a 65 bed care home and 50 extra care units (both within Class C2 Use), parking, landscaping, access and other associated works on land at Grove Road, Wantage.

The addendum report contained the following updates:

·         Following the amended scheme, Grove Parish Council have reiterated their objections, but requested a ‘stop line’ at the entrance to the site, which the officer recommended that this be required as part of the hard landscaping scheme required by condition 5.

·         In light of a request by Grove Parish Council, officers have agreed with the applicant to include an additional condition to cover a delivery management.

·         The drainage engineer’s concerns relating to planting and the proposed attenuation tank will be addressed by condition 5 (landscaping) and condition 8 (surface water drainage)

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.

Frank Parnell, a representative of Grove Parish Council, spoke objecting to the application. His concerns included the following:

·         A request for a stop sign to notify drivers crossing the cycle path;

·         A request to prevent hours of delivery at peak times; and

·         Concern regarding the overflow of water across the site, specifically relating to the impact of loss of vegetation during the construction phase.

Pauline Davies, a representative of local residents, spoke objecting to the application. Her concerns included the following:

·         Would like to thank the applicants for the amendments;

·         However, the neighbouring bungalows would still be overlooked;

·         The application was supposed to be 2.5 storeys as per the public consultation, but it is now 3 storeys high;

·         Should the application be approved, a request for a construction management plan to ensure no hazardous materials harm the neighbours; and

·         A request for a detailed maintenance plan for the southern boundary fencing and tree screening to be agreed in perpetuity.

Sam Rous and Anna Gillings, the applicant and agent, spoke in support of the application. Their points included the following:

·         The proposed care home would meet local need;

·         It is in a sustainable location;

·         There has been a long period of public consultation which has significantly altered the application;

·         Happy to accept the requested new and amended conditions; and

·         Adjustments have been made to minimise the impact on neighbours.

Officers confirmed that there were no objections to accepting the following amendments and new conditions:

·         Condition 6 – to include drainage, disturbance, noise and dust and asbestos removal.

·         Condition 16 – to include boundary details to be agreed, maintained and retained in perpetuity.

·         Condition 17 – clarified that this will include any plant failing – it will be replaced in the first 5 years.

·         Condition 20 – Access condition to include vision splays.

·         Condition 23 – A stop line to be required by condition as recommended within the addendum report with a further addition requiring a stop sign.

·         Condition 24 – a delivery management plan as recommended within the addendum report; to include hours of delivery to avoid peak hours.

·         Covenants cannot be secured by condition as this is outside of planning law.

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 with the aforementioned extra and amended conditions was declared carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to authorise the head of planning to grant planning permission for application P17/V0813/FUL, subject to the following:

1.    A S106 agreement being entered into with Oxfordshire County Council in order to secure financial contributions to local bus services and the monitoring of the required Travel Plan.

2.    Conditions as follows:

1.    Commencement three years.

2.    Approved plans.

Prior to Commencement

3.    Slab and ridge levels to be agreed.

4.    Materials to be agreed.

5.    Hard and soft landscaping scheme to be agreed (including planting, details of the mound at the site frontage and provision for mobility impaired).

6.    Construction method statement to be agreed.

7.    Refuse storage to be agreed.

8.    Surface water drainage scheme to be agreed.

9.    Noise mitigation, including mechanical plant equipment, to be agreed.

10. Tree protection to be agreed.

11. Tree pits within areas of hardstanding to be agreed.

12. Biodiversity enhancement plan to be agreed.

13. Contaminated land investigation to be agreed.

14. Travel plan to be agreed.

15. Cycle parking provision to be agreed.

16. Boundary details as agreed.

17. Landscaping implementation as specified.

18. Use class restriction – C2 only – extra care and care home.

19. Hours of work – Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings only.

20. Access, parking and turning as agreed.

21. No drainage to highway.

22. Existing access to be closed.

23. A stop line and stop sign to be required.

24. Delivery management plan.