Agenda and 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 Councillors Val Shaw and Ron Batstone who was substituted by Councillor Paul Barrow.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 16 August 2023. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 August 2023 as a correct record 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 list showing members of the public who had registered to speak was tabled at the meeting.

Proposed driveway/dropped kerb. (As amplified by additional information received 22 June 2023)

The committee considered planning application P23/V1093/HH for proposed driveway/dropped kerb (as amplified by additional information received 22 June 2023), on land at 39 Wootton Village, Boars Hill, Oxford, OX1 5HP.  

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 development manager introduced the report and highlighted that the application sought permission for a new access and dropped kerb. The application had been deferred from an earlier meeting in order that a site visit could be carried out with the local highways authority in attendance to allow them to address any questions from the committee. The development manager confirmed that the construction of two houses on the plot was underway and that one access had been granted permission under the original application for these dwellings. The development manager advised that the proposed access and dropped kerb before the committee was to create a separate access for plot two on the site. She also highlighted that whilst there were currently high hoardings around the site this would be replaced with a 1 metre high stone wall.

The development manager concluded that the application was not harmful to highway safety or convenience or the character or appearance of the area and was therefore recommended for approval.

Gerardine Quaghebeur spoke on behalf of Wootton Parish Council, objecting to the application.

Tom Balance, the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

As councillor Val Shaw the local ward member was unable to attend the meeting due to illness, a statement objecting to the application was read out on her behalf by the democratic services officer.

The committee had conducted a site visit prior to the meeting. The committee asked for clarification as to whether the highways authority had revised their view on the application. The development manager confirmed that originally the local highways authority had objected to the application but following the submission of further information they had removed their objection. At the site visit the highways officer had confirmed that they had no highway safety or amenity concerns in relation to this application.

The committee enquired if there had been any indication that the bench which had been removed would be replaced. The development manager advised that the land where the bench had been situated remain in the ownership of Oxfordshire County Council and that an easement would be granted to allow access to the proposed drive from the highway. She went on to advise that in order for a bench to be placed on the land a license would be required.

A motion, moved and seconded, to approve the application was carried on being put to the vote.

The committee reflected that they had previously been inclined to refuse the application based on the plans and photos when the application was discussed at a previous meeting. However, having visited the site the committee had seen that many houses in the area had driveways and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

Reserved Matters submission relating to phase 1P pursuant to outline planning permission P14/V2873/O, comprising 172 dwellings with associated infrastructure and landscaping.

(Outline planning application for a residential development of up to 4,254 dwellings, mixed use local centres, primary schools, sports pitches, community and leisure facilities, special needs school, open space and extensive green infrastructure, hard and soft landscaping, attenuation areas, diversions to public rights of way, pedestrian and vehicular access and associated works)

The committee considered planning application P23/V0667/RM for Reserved Matters submission relating to phase 1P pursuant to outline planning permission P14/V2873/O, comprising 172 dwellings with associated infrastructure and landscaping.

(Outline planning application for a residential development of up to 4,254 dwellings, mixed use local centres, primary schools, sports pitches, community and leisure facilities, special needs school, open space and extensive green infrastructure, hard and soft landscaping, attenuation areas, diversions to public rights of way, pedestrian and vehicular access and associated works), on land at Parcel 1P, Land to the west of Great Western Park (Valley Park), Didcot.

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 came before the committee as when the application was submitted it fell within the boundary of Harwell Parish Council who objected to the application. Since then there had been a boundary revision and the application site now fell within Western Valley Parish. The planning officer confirmed that Western Valley Parish Council did not object to the application.

The planning officer informed the committee that outline consent had been granted for up to 4,254 dwellings on the site and the reserved matters application before them was located at the north of the site. The planning officer went on to advise that the outline application was subject to a Section 106 agreement which secured various infrastructure such as schools and pitches and that these matters were not open for discussion as part of the reserved matters application. The planning officer also confirmed that the access from the A4130 had been granted permission under the outline consent and that delivery of the development was not reliant on Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF1) road and bridges scheme being in place.

The planning officer informed the committee that the application had been reduced from 179 dwellings to 172. Access to the site was via a signalised junction from the A4130 with a main road serving the site and secondary roads coming off of the main road. He confirmed that the scheme had been designed in line with the agreed site design code. The planning officer went on to highlight that that this included the widths of the secondary roads, noting a particular road which would be built at a width of 7.5 metres. Despite the fact that the local highway authority had agreed the site design code for the development it had since requested that the road be built to a width of 8.3 metres and advised that it may not adopt the road in question should it not be built to this width.

The planning officer went on to confirm that a protected tree would be retained to the north of the site and the landscape officer’s comments had been addressed. He confirmed that parking provision was in line with adopted standards and all properties would be built with an EV  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.