Agenda and minutes

To receive any announcements from the chairman and general housekeeping matters.

The chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, outlined the procedure to be followed in a virtual public meeting.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meetings held on Thursday 28 May and Wednesday 10 June 2020. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meetings held on Thursday 28 May 2020 and Wednesday 10 June 2020 as  correct records and agree that the Chairman sign these as such.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

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circumstances which have made the matters urgent and to receive any notification of any applications deferred or withdrawn.

There was no urgent business.

The Committee received a proposal for a site visit in respect of application P19/S2061/FUL, Highfield, 17 Stoke Row Road, Peppard Common.  The reason behind the request was to assess the character and appearance of the proposed development on its surroundings. 

RESOLVED: to defer consideration of application P19/S2061/FUL to allow for a site visit.

Statements on the applications which have been duly received are now published and thus available to the public. They will not be read out at the meeting.

ADDITIONAL NOTE

Statements received

A schedule of the written representations received is attached. Individual submissions are also shown below.

Statements made by the public and duly received within a published deadline had been circulated to the Committee two days prior to the meeting and had also been published on the Council’s website.

Replacement function room with extension to club room, improved toilet provision and porch entrance for first floor accommodation (as amplified by supplementary information and premises licence extracts accompanying email from agent received 11 September 2019 and Noise Assessment dated 27 January 2020 and amended by drawing 0.10B and Planning and Design Access Statement (amended) received 4 February 2020).

The committee considered application P19/S2005/FUL for a replacement function room with extension to club room, improved toilet provision and porch entrance for first floor accommodation (as amplified by supplementary information and premises licence extracts accompanying email from agent received 11 September 2019 and Noise Assessment dated 27 January 2020 and amended by drawing 0.10B and Planning and Design Access Statement (amended) received 4 February 2020 at the Morning Star, 98 Papist Way, Cholsey.

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 Committee had particularly noted statements made by residents and Cholsey Parish Council who had concerns regarding the scale of the proposed development, possible noise nuisance and pressures on parking. The planning officer reported that the environmental health officer considered that noise levels would be acceptable, and acoustically would be an improvement; the Council had only ever received one noise complaint, on 9 March 2020, which was made after the planning application had been submitted. The Oxfordshire County Council, as highways authority, had considered that the parking situation would be acceptable if the application were to receive planning permission.

In response to a question from the Committee in respect of enforcement powers, the planning officer reported that planning laws only had limited control of the site and other perceived problems with the site’s usage would normally be dealt with through other legislation, such as licensing, environmental health, anti-social behaviour and the police (illegal highways parking). 

Councillor Anne-Marie Simpson, a local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application.

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

RESOLVED: That planning permission is granted for application P19/S2005/FUL subject to the following conditions;

Standard conditions;

1: Commencement three years - Full Planning Permission

Pre commencement conditions;

2: Schedule of Materials

Compliance conditions;

3: Approved plans

4: Noise Mitigation as approved

Proposed two storey side and single storey extension and change of use of agricultural land to residential garden and underground oil tank (as amended by drawings accompanying letter from agent dated 26 November 2019 removing the proposed outbuilding and reducing the size of the extensions to the dwelling and amplified by drawing 17094-SKP112, Original Volume and Appendices accompanying letter from agent dated 30 January 2020).

Sarah Gray, the local ward councillor, stood down from the committee for consideration of this item.

The committee considered application P19/S3339/HH for a two storey side and single storey extension and change of use of agricultural land to residential garden and underground oil tank (as amended by drawings accompanying letter from agent dated 26 November 2019 removing the proposed outbuilding and reducing the size of the extensions to the dwelling and amplified by drawing 17094-SKP112, Original Volume and Appendices accompanying letter from agent dated 30 January 2020) at the Old Farmhouse, Lower Farm, Otmoor Lane, Beckley.

Sarah Gray, the local ward councillor, spoke in support of the application.

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 site was located well outside of the confines of Beckley village. It was therefore subject to criterion (i) of Policy H13 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan and the maximum 40% increase in volume of the original dwelling. The planning officer added that although still an emerging policy at this stage, and afforded limited weight in decision making, Policy H21 of the emerging local plan had removed the 40% figure. It had been replaced with the same wording from paragraph 145 of the National Planning Policy Framework and made reference to not being disproportionate to the original building.

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

RESOLVED: to grant planning permission for application P19/S3339/HH subject to the following conditions:

Standard Conditions

1: Commencement three years - Full Planning Permission

2: Approved plans

Compliance conditions

3: Matching materials (walls and roof)

Erection of a single storey detached 2-bedroom dwelling, with associated works to facilitate a new access, together with external landscaping (width and height of dwelling reduced and changes to external layout as shown on amended plans received 11th September 2019 and additional fire engine tracking plan received 24th October 2019 and reduction in width of rear patio and pedestrian footpath and details of boundary treatment and levels as shown on amended and additional plans received 5th February 2020 and corrections to existing tree heights, retention of existing close-boarded fence and replacement front hedging as shown on amended plans received 17th June 2020).

Lorraine Hillier and Jo Robb, local ward councillors, stood down from the committee for consideration of this item.

The committee considered application P19/S2061/FUL for the erection of a single storey detached 2-bedroom dwelling, with associated works to facilitate a new access, together with external landscaping (width and height of dwelling reduced and changes to external layout as shown on amended plans received 11th September 2019 and additional fire engine tracking plan received 24th October 2019 and reduction in width of rear patio and pedestrian footpath and details of boundary treatment and levels as shown on amended and additional plans received 5th February 2020 and corrections to existing tree heights, retention of existing close-boarded fence and replacement front hedging as shown on amended plans received 17th June 2020) at Highfield, 17 Stoke Row Road, Peppard Common.

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 report had been updated with an additional planning condition to prevent the use of the flat roof as a balcony or terrace. The planning officer advised the Committee that the proposed development would be acceptable in principle, would safeguard the character and appearance the surrounding area, and would not detract from the living conditions of adjoining residents, would provide adequate amenity for future residents of the proposed dwelling and would not be prejudicial to highway and pedestrian safety. Subject to the conditions suggested in the report, the proposal would be in accordance with Development Plan Policies, Supplementary Planning Guidance and Government Guidance.

Lorraine Hillier, a local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application.

Jo Robb, a local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application.

The committee considered that a site visit should be held to assess the impact of the proposed development on the character of and appearance of Stoke Row Road and whether the development would be harmful to important local green space.

RESOLVED; to defer consideration of application P19/S2061/FUL to facilitate a site visit, to allow the committee to ascertain how the proposed development would impact the local area.

Demolition of an existing dwelling and erection of 2 pairs of semi-detached dwellings (as amended to adjust the size and positioning of the dwellings).

Lorraine Hillier and Jo Robb, local ward councillors, stood down from the committee for consideration of this item.

The committee considered application P19/S4457/FUL for the demolition of an existing dwelling and erection of 2 pairs of semi-detached dwellings (as amended to adjust the size and positioning of the dwellings) at the Hollies, Goring Road, Woodcote.

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.

Lorraine Hillier, a local ward member, spoke objecting to the application.

Jo Robb, a local ward member, spoke objecting to the application.

The Committee were concerned that the proposed development represented an unacceptable overall increase in dwellings to the site, was overbearing and reduced neighbours’ privacy. Its appearance was out of character with the existing properties on Goring Road. They were of the view that this constituted backland development which was unneighbourly. They also considered that the proposal conflicted with the Woodcote Neighbourhood Plan, as the site is not allocated for housing.

A motion proposed and seconded, to refuse planning permission because of concerns relating the proposal being out of character and harmful to neighbours’ amenity was declared carried upon being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to refuse planning permission for application P19/S4457/FUL for the following reasons:

1.    Out of character with local area

2.    Harm to neighbours’ amenities

1. Demolition of existing green barn, closure of access to footpath track.  2. Erection of 1 dwelling with new access, garage, outbuilding, and associated works. 3. Provision of additional parking/car storage area to adjoining commercial unit (at The Barn/Str8six).

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 recommendation in the report to grant planning permission was consistent with the Council’s approach elsewhere with similar applications. Whilst the site lay outside the built-up limits of Lewknor, within an area where there were strict controls over the provision of new housing, the current scheme was no less sustainable than the extant prior approval scheme that it would replace. Officers were satisfied that the alternative redevelopment proposal would be more sympathetic to the defining rural character of the surroundings and there would be general improvements to the appearance of the land and the relationship with the public realm. There were no overriding issues in terms of highway safety, neighbouring amenity, ecology or environmental impacts.

Councillor Caroline Newton, the local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application.

The Committee considered that the existing barn structure was valued by local residents and the Lewknor Parish Council. Notwithstanding the existing  permitted development rights, they also considered that the design, size and form of the proposed barn would have the effect of ‘suburbanising’ the rural character of the local area.

A motion proposed and seconded, to refuse planning permission because of harm to the character of the area was declared carried upon being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to refuse planning permission for application P19/S0909/FUL for the following reason:

1. Harm to the character of the area.