Agenda and minutes

Venue: virtual

Contact: Paul Bateman 

Note: You can watch this meeting via this weblink: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTj2pCic8vzucpzIaSWE3UQ 

Items
No. Item

8.

Chair's announcements

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

Minutes:

The chair ran through housekeeping arrangements appropriate to a virtual meeting.

9.

Apologies for absence

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

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Robert Maddison. Councillor Paul Barrow would substitute for Councillor Maddison.

10.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 115 KB

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 27 January 2021. 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 27 January 2021 were agreed to be a correct record and that the chair sign them as such, subject to minute Pl. 211 omitting reference to Councillor Jenny Hannaby joining the meeting after its commencement, and to substitute the first paragraph with the wording,  “owing to telecommunication difficulties, Councillor Jenny Hannaby did not hear the whole debate and did not vote on this application”.

11.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

12.

Urgent business

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

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.

13.

Public participation

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. 

Minutes:

The committee noted the list of members of the public registered to speak at the meeting.  The committee had received prior to the meeting statements which had been made.

 

14.

P19/V1998/RM - Land North of Dunmore Road, Abingdon pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Reserved Matters Application (Appearance, Landscaping, Layout, Scale) - Residential development for erection of 425 dwellings within 3 phases of the North Abingdon Development: Western Parcel Area A & B and Central Parcel Area A. Associated landscaping and infrastructure works together with additional details as required by conditions attached to outline planning permission (Ref: P17/V0050/O)(as amended by drawings and information received 21 December 2020).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Diana Lugova encountered technical communication problems during the presentation of this item. The councillor was unable to participate in or hear the whole debate and did not vote on this application.

 

The committee considered application P19/V1998/RM in respect of reserved matters application (appearance, landscaping, layout, scale) - residential development for erection of 425 dwellings within 3 phases of the North Abingdon Development: Western Parcel Area A & B and Central Parcel Area A. Associated landscaping and infrastructure works together with additional details as required by conditions attached to outline planning permission (Ref: P17/V0050/O) (as amended by drawings and information received 21 December 2020) on Land North of Dunmore Road, Abingdon.

 

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 reported that the application sought approval of reserved matters for 425 dwellings across three parcels of land in the north Abingdon strategic housing site. Reserved matters for consideration were appearance, layout landscaping and scale. Outline planning permission had been granted in 2017 for up to 950 dwellings and associated infrastructure.  Some objections had been raised, contending that the housing mix was not in accordance with the council’s strategic housing market assessment (SHMA) nor the housing mix agreed at outline stage. The planning officer displayed a slide depicting the revised mix and location of affordable housing, which was now acceptable to the housing officer.

 

The planning officer also reported on the scale and appearance of the proposed development, stating that these aspects reflected elements of traditional architectural features as well as providing characteristics of modern and contemporary architecture. The palette of proposed materials included both traditional and contemporary building materials. These features would fit in well with the existing built form of Dunmore Road.  Landscaping proposals placed an emphasis on walking and cycling; a number of linear green urban spaces, varying in scale, and all areas of public open space, would be readily accessible by walking and cycle routes, with secure cycle parking proposed at the play areas. In order to minimise the visual impact of new development, additional areas of buffer planting would be provided to reinforce the existing woodland blocks and hedgerow corridors.  The committee was also advised, with the assistance of a slide illustration, that approximately 25m of the green corridor along the A34 road would consist of a suitable acoustic bund, which would be “softened” by additional woodland planting, providing an informal, linear public open space.

 

Georgina Naish, the agent, spoke in support of the application. A statement by the agent’s company, David Wilson Homes South, was sent to the committee by the democratic services officer prior to the meeting.

 

In response to a question regarding the positioning of certain categories of housing adjacent to the acoustic bund, the agent reported that the split would be 50:50 between affordable and private housing.

 

In response to a question regarding water capture systems, and heating, the agent replied that some  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

P20/V2810/FUL - Brakspear's Yard, Denchworth Road, Grove, Wantage pdf icon PDF 241 KB

Retrospective application to modify the ridge height of the approved development, to relocate one bedroom from the second floor to the roofspace, and to insert two rooflights.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Diana Lugova encountered technical communication problems during the presentation of this item. The councillor was unable to participate in or hear the whole debate and did not vote on this application.

 

Councillor Paul Barrow left the meeting prior to the discussion of this application and therefore did not participate in the debate or the voting on this application.

 

Councillor Ron Batstone, a local ward councillor, stood down from the committee for consideration of this item.

 

The committee considered application P20/V2810/FUL, a retrospective application to modify the ridge height of the approved development, to relocate one bedroom from the second floor to the roof space, and to insert two rooflights at Brakspear’s Yard, Denchworth Road, Grove, Wantage.

 

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 reported that this was a retrospective planning application for changes to a development of 14 flats in Grove, which was nearly completed. The application sought permission for changes made between the development as approved and the development as built. The changes were reported as; an increase in the height of the ridge and gables of the main three-storey element of the building by approximately 600mm, from 11.7m to 12.3m. This represented a 5% increase in height. Also, there had been a relocation of one bedroom in flat 10 from the second floor to the roof space, with the addition of two rooflights in the front, west elevation. The changes did not entail an increase in the number of bedrooms, and therefore there was no impact upon the parking arrangements, which remained as approved and were satisfactory. Two new rooflights in the west elevation looked towards the open space in front of the development on the opposite side of Denchworth Road. Approved upper floor windows also looked in this direction. Therefore, officers considered that the rooflights caused no harm to neighbours from overlooking.

 

The planning officer also reported that a further representation from a neighbour had been received since the publication of the agenda. This had requested tree screening to the rear of the development. This was a statement by Mr Peter Pritchard and had been sent to the committee by the democratic services officer on Friday 3 March 2021.

 

In concluding, the planning officer reported that the footprint of the development had not increased and that the impact of the development upon neighbours and their privacy was too small to represent harm. Consequently, officers considered the development as built complied with relevant policies of the development plan, and was acceptable.

 

 

Allister Godfrey, the agent, spoke in support of the application. A statement by Mr. Godfrey had been circulated to the committee by the democratic services officer prior to the meeting.

 

Councillor Ron Batstone, a local ward councillor, spoke to the application.

 

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

 

RESOLVED: to grant planning permission  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

 

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