Agenda item

Further to the report the Committee was advised that the County Council was seeking a contribution of £25,576 towards the Didcot Integrated Transport Study.  Furthermore, an amended flood risk assessment had been received which had been considered by the Environment Agency. The Agency had withdrawn its holding objection, subject to conditions which had yet to be received.

In additions to matters to be covered by conditions as set out in the report, the Committee was advised that should it be minded to approve the application, authority to do so should be delegated to the Chief Executive and additional conditions should be added to address the comments of the Environment Agency; the provision of affordable housing; external lighting and boundary treatment.  Furthermore, an informative referring to the significant traffic benefits of public use of the adjacent private road leading to the Hanson works should future circumstances permit and the applicant having regard to this.

Mr Harry Tout made a statement objecting to the application raising concerns relating to matters already covered in the report.  He advised that Abingdon Road was not wide enough to take traffic from the distribution centre. There was a narrow walk way and he expressed concern regarding pedestrian safety.  He suggested that traffic should be directed away from this road and the 200 year old bridges should be protected. Finally, he suggested that there should be a weight restriction and he reiterated that the road was not suitable and neither were the bridges. 

Mr Green representing the Green Group made a statement objecting to the application in terms of the amount of traffic and the use of the third access road adjacent to his premises.  He explained that the Group employed approximately 900 people and was expanding.  He reported that approximately 60 cars used the car park and there had been a number of incidents.  He referred to vehicular movements and questioned why the access in the centre could not be used for common access.

Mr Hatcher made a statement in support of the application commenting that the site was a commercial site and the proposal was in accordance with planning policy.  He referred to the level of consultation over the last 2 years explaining that the majority of the site would be used for employment purposes and would be used at a similar level to when Amey fully occupied the site.  He reported that the housing would meet the needs of the village and would be affordable.  He explained that the level of HGV traffic from the site could be controlled and HGV’s would be prohibited from going into the village which was a benefit over the current use.  He reported that there would be access improvements; landscaping; significant tree planting; building heights would be controlled; there would be retention of employment opportunities; a reduction in traffic and the proposal was a good use of a brown field site.

The local Member thanked the Officers and the applicant for keeping him informed of the application discussions from an early stage.  He commented that the County Council recognised the three accesses but he asked the Committee to look more carefully at the flexibility along the access points.  He suggested that the access to the west should be kept separate.  Also, he commented that the private road to the Hanson Works was likely to become a public road at some point when the pit ceased to operate and that this should be taken into account now.  Finally, he commented that it would not be wise to overload CulhamBridge. 

One Member reminded the Committee that there was a certificate of lawful use and therefore without planning permission the commercial use of the site could be intensified without any controls.  He commented that the County Engineer supported the application and therefore an informative might be added to any permission drawing the applicant’s attention to the comments raised.

By 15 votes to nil it was

RESOLVED

that the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair and/or Vice Chair of the Development Control Committee and the local Member be delegated authority to approve application SUT/19470 subject to: -

(1)        the application being referred to the Secretary of State and him raising no objection;

(2)        a Section 106 obligation covering contributions  to the improvement of the local highway network, education, library, fire and rescue, waste management, museum, social and health care and affordable housing;

(3)        the conditions set out in the report;

(4)        further conditions relating to the following: -

(a)               works to improve the visibility of existing accesses;

(b)               the provision of a footpath from the western (housing) access along the site frontage to join the footpath in front of the existing properties fronting Appleford Road;

(c)               the provision of on site cycle and disabled parking;

(d)               implementation of a water vole mitigation scheme;

(e)               details to be submitted regarding foul and surface water drainage;

(f)                 the provision of a routing agreement;

(g)               no more than 15 dwellings to be provided on the housing site;

(h)               the new Class B8 buildings to be no more than 10 metres in height;

(i)                  the size of the eight proposed storage and distribution units shall only be provided in accordance with the floor areas shown on approved drawing no. 02059:041 and shall not be amalgamated into one another without the prior written consent of the District Planning Authority.

(5)        other conditions to address the following: -

(a)               external lighting;

(b)               the Environment Agency comments;

(c)               provision of affordable house;

(d)               boundary treatment;

(e)               reserved matters

(6)        an informative referring to the significant traffic benefits of public use of the adjacent private road leading to the Hanson works should future circumstances permit and the applicant having regard to this.