APPLICATION NO

	APPLICATION NO.	P19/V1728/RM
	SITE	Land at Appleford Road, Sutton Courtenay (Former Amey Works), OX14 4PP
	PARISH	SUTTON COURTENAY
	PROPOSAL	Reserved Matters application for details of the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the proposed development following planning permission P18/V0069/O. (Amended plans received 1 October 2020 and 4 December 2020 to show amendments to design, housing mix and layout, and landscaping and as amended by plans received 1 March 2021). (Residential development of 91 dwellings and associated access)
	WARD MEMBER(S)	Richard Webber
	APPLICANT	Vistry Homes
	OFFICER	Andy Heron

RECOMMENDATION

To approve Reserved Matters, subject to the following conditions:

Conditions

1. Approved plans

2. Materials

3. Estate roads and footpaths

4. Landscaping and S278 works

5. Car parking

6. Cycle parking

7. Visibility splays

8. Landscaping

9. Electronic vehicle charging

10. Maintenance and upkeep of the site

Informatives

1. Planning Obligation

2. CIL- reserved matters approval

3. Superfast broadband - 30 plus dwellings

4. Advance payments code – private street works

5. Public highway works

6. S38 / Private streets agreement

7. Thames Water

1.0	INTRODUCTION AND PROPOSAL
1.1	This application was presented to committee on 27 January 2021. Following concerns expressed about pedestrian access and connectivity to the village, it was resolved to defer the application for a site visit to assess the proposed pedestrian access links. The previous committee report and minutes of the meeting are attached at Appendix 1.
1.2	Since the January 2021 meeting, the developer has been in communication with the Millennium Common Trust who look after Millennium Common, a nature reserve which adjoins the development to the south in respect of connection links via their land. The Millennium Common Trust have informed both officers and the developer that they will not grant pedestrian access, despite the developer offering to pay for a pedestrian access bridge from the development site to the common.
1.3	Following other concerns raised by councillors at the committee meeting, the developer has provided additional information and revisions to the proposal in response. The revisions are: - Tree protection plans submitted to demonstrate protection of existing trees. - Additional electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure following approval from the utility provider for extra load from the sub-station. 38 plots will now have EV charging units with two pay as you go electric charging posts for communal use. - Increase in private amenity space. Now only 9 plots (9.9% of the development) have outdoor amenity space which is below the recommended size of the council’s design guide SPD. When taken as a whole, average amenity space per dwelling is above the minimum requirement with a mean amenity of 95.1 square metres. - Tree pit information updated on the services layout plan with service routing relocated away from tree pits where required.
1.4	The amended plans and additional information are attached at Appendix 2.

2.0

SUMMARY OF CONSULTATIONS & REPRESENTATIONS

2.1

A summary of consultations and representations is contained in the previous

committee report in Appendix 1. The following comments have been received since the last committee:

Landscape officer

No objection, subject to previous landscape conditions.

Forestry officer

No objection.

Millennium Common Trust

Millennium Common was established on 30 March 1999 with a sum of money paid to OCC. The use of the land as Millennium Common is set to last for 80 years from inception and will cease/expire in 2079 under the provisions contained within the original planning permission and Section 106 Agreement. The land will revert back to FCC Environment Ltd at that time.

Millennium Commons footpaths are all permissive and do not form part of the local statutory rights of way network. They are not shown on the county council's definitive rights of way map. These footpaths can legally be closed for token periods annually if needs be. Equally, when the land reverts back to FCC Environment Ltd in 2079 public access to the land will cease. We mention this specifically so that local people and residents of Heritage Park fully understand that there is no automatic public right of way through the common.

The common is a place for quiet reflection and nature appreciation. The aims and overall management objectives for the common are:-

• to manage a nature reserve with a diverse range of habitat types to support a wide range of plant and animal species;

• and to provide an open-access public open space for local residents.

There are 4 points of access onto the common, all on its southern boundary opening onto Churchmere Lane (OCC Definitive Rights of Way ref 373/12). Three of the accesses are via either wooden or metal kissing gates, installed specifically to stop people taking bicycles, motorcycles etc onto the common. The fourth access is vehicular to allow our landscape contractor to get his machinery on to the common.

We have expressed our concerns in the past at the prospect of opening up the common to nearly 200 houses. We are worried that it will just become the playground for those on the estate and ultimately lead to the erosion of the village facility and harm/damage both flora and fauna, thus defeating the very object of setting up the facility in the first place. We still think there is a risk that the common could be severely downgraded by excess usage thus spoiling the facility for the greater number of people in Appleford and Sutton Courtenay.

We do not feel that it is our place to solve the problem of connectivity to the village for the development. That is something that should have been thought about by both developers and the district council when the original outline planning permission was granted

The matter of connectivity and links between the development and the main village are issues that should have been resolved during the processing of the original outline planning permission 7 or 8 years ago

3.0	ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
3.1	See the previous report in appendix 1.

4.0	MAIN ISSUES
4.1	The assessment of the main issues is set out in the report in appendix 1. An update on the latest amended and additional information is presented below together with an update on the issues of deferral.
4.2	Access to Millennium Common The trust declines to offer access for the developer as they fear the creation of an access would result in excessive pressure on the common, its flora and fauna and would destroy the objectives of the formal management plan put in place when the common was set up 20 years or so ago. The trust has stated that the common was set up as a small quiet nature reserve for use by residents of Sutton Courtenay and Appleford. If an access were to be created from the development the trust can see the common becoming an extension play area for future residents. They have stated that they, “do not feel that it is our place to solve the problem of connectivity to the village for the development. That is something that should have been thought about by both developers and the district council when the original outline planning permission was granted”.
4.3	Proposed access and connectivity Officers consider the access and connectivity of the proposed housing layout remains acceptable and would provide safe, direct and convenient pedestrian and cycle connections to Sutton Courtenay to the west and to the neighbouring development to the east.
4.4	There are two pedestrian footpaths to the north which link to Sutton Courtenay to the west. Three further pedestrian footpaths are located to the east which link into the neighbouring residential development as shown on the plan below.
4.5	Tree protection and landscaping Landscape and forestry officers have confirmed that adequate tree pits are now provided to allow trees to grow and prosper within the development. Subject to further landscaping details (to be submitted via condition), there are no outstanding technical concerns on these matters.
4.6	Electric vehicle charging provision Additional electric vehicle (EV) charging units are proposed. This accords with paragraph 110 of the NPPF which requires developments to be designed to enable charging of plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles in safe, accessible and convenient locations. 42% of dwellings will have their own EV charging units, with a further two charging units available for communal use. This can be secured by condition.
4.7	Private amenity Private amenity space has been increased. Only 9 plots (9.9% of the development) have outdoor amenity space below the recommended size of the design guide SPD. On balance officers consider this to be acceptable given that 16.4% of the site is proposed to be ‘usable’ public open space which is above the 15% public open space requirement recommended in policy DP33 of the Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031.
4.8	The developer has issued a garden amenity area schedule which is attached in Appendix 3. This shows the proposed private amenity space against the policy requirement for individual plots and the total development.

5.0	CONCLUSION
5.1	The proposed reserved matters of layout, appearance, landscaping and scale are acceptable to your officers. Subject to the recommended conditions, the application should be approved.

This application has been considered against the relevant policies of the development plan as listed below.

Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031 Part 1 policies:

CP01 - Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

CP03 - Settlement Hierarchy

CP05 - Housing Supply Ring-Fence

CP07 - Providing Supporting Infrastructure and Services

CP15 - Spatial Strategy for South East Vale Sub-Area

CP22 - Housing Mix

CP23 - Housing Density

CP24 - Affordable Housing

CP33 - Promoting Sustainable Transport and Accessibility

CP35 - Promoting Public Transport, Cycling and Walking

CP36 - Electronic communications

CP37 - Design and Local Distinctiveness

CP38 - Design Strategies for Strategic and Major Development Sites

CP40 - Sustainable Design and Construction

CP42 - Flood Risk

CP43 - Natural Resources

CP44 - Landscape

CP45 - Green Infrastructure

CP46 - Conservation and Improvement of Biodiversity

Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031 Part 2 policies:

DP16 - Access

DP23 - Impact of Development on Amenity

DP24 - Effect of Neighbouring or Previous Uses on New Developments

DP27 - Land Affected by Contamination

DP28 - Waste Collection and Recycling

DP30 - Watercourses

DP33 - Open Space

Neighbourhood plan:

Sutton Courtenay has no designated neighbourhood plan

Other material considerations:

- The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

- The National Planning Policy Guidance (PPG)

- National Design Guide Planning practice guidance for beautiful, enduring and

successful places (NDG)

- Vale of White Horse Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document

(SPD) (March 2015)

- Vale of White Horse Delivering Infrastructure to Support Development

Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) (June 2017)

Other Relevant Legislation:

Human Rights Act 1998

- The provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 have been taken into

account in the processing of the application and the preparation of this report.

Equality Act 2010

- In determining this planning application, the council has regard to its

equalities obligations including its obligations under Section 149 of the Equality

Act 2010.