Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any announcements from the chair, and general housekeeping matters.

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, outlined the procedure to be followed and advised on emergency evacuation arrangements.

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mike Pighills.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 8 May 2024. 

Councillor Scott Houghton raised that at point 115 the minutes referred to access being via Chawley Lane when the plans indicated that access would be via Cumnor Hill.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 8 May 2024 as a correct record subject to the amendment to correct Chawley Lane to Cumnor Lane, and agree that the Chair sign these as such.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent. 

There was no urgent business.

To receive any statements from members of the public that have registered to speak on planning applications which are being presented to this committee meeting. 

The committee noted the list of the members of the public who had registered to speak at the meeting.

Reserved Matters application for the details of appearance, landscaping, scale, and layout following Outline Approval P21/V0679/O (Outline application for access for residential development of up to 5 dwellings). (Amended plans and information received 21 March 2024 as set out in accompanying agent cover letter).

The committee considered reserved matters application P23/V2385/RM for the details of appearance, landscaping, scale, and layout following Outline Approval P21/V0679/O (Outline application for access for residential development of up to 5 dwellings), (amended plans and information received 21 March 2024 as set out in accompanying agent cover letter), on land at 25 Orchard Way, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0LQ.  

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 the meeting. 

The planning officer introduced the report and highlighted that the application had been deferred from an earlier committee to allow a site visit to be carried out. She confirmed that the application followed the granting of outline planning permission in 2021. Since the report had been published, four further representations had been received objecting to the proposed heights, traffic and lack of parking.

The planning officer informed the committee that it was proposed to update condition 4 to require that the cycle parking was secure and covered. She confirmed that a management company would be responsible for managing the public areas. The planning officer went on to advise that a further condition was proposed to ensure a long term management plan for the planting in these areas was in place for the site.

The planning officer informed the committee that the application site was on the edge of the recreation ground. Five dwellings were proposed with the front dwelling being single storey and the remaining four being two storey. The planning officer showed plans of each house type and plans illustrating that council waste vehicle turning circles were possible on the site. She went on to show the committee photos of the vicinity of the site including the building types typical of the area.

The planning officer concluded by informing the committee that the principle of development had been approved. She advised that the application allowed consideration of the scale, appearance, layout and landscaping of the proposed dwellings. The planning officer confirmed that the application met neighbour amenity requirements and current parking standards.

Paul Luper spoke on behalf of Harwell Parish Council, objecting to the application. 

Jez Hawthorne spoke objecting to the application. 

Sean Bates, the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

The committee asked if there was a proposed Construction Management Plan in light of the comments made regarding the difficulties during construction on Armstrong Close. The planning officer confirmed this was not currently proposed but that it would be possible and reasonable for the committee to add a Construction Management Plan condition if they were minded to grant planning permission. The planning officer advised that the condition should state the specific requirements of the plan such as construction hours, delivery times, requirement for a banksman. She went on to advise on the normal construction site working hours environmental health felt appropriate and that it would be possible to require deliveries outside of school drop off and collection times.

The committee asked if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 123.