Agenda and minutes

Venue: First Floor Meeting Space, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, OX14 4SB

Contact: Paul Bateman  Email:  paul.bateman@southandvale.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

174.

Chair's announcements

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

Minutes:

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

 

175.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 368 KB

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 9 June 2021. 

Minutes:

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 9 June 2021 as a correct record and agree that the chair sign them as such.

 

176.

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.

177.

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circumstances which have made the matters urgent and to receive any notification of any applications deferred or withdrawn.

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.

178.

Proposals for site visits

Minutes:

There were no proposals for site visits.

179.

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 list showing members of the public who had registered to speak had been sent to the committee prior to the meeting. Statements received from the public were circulated to the committee prior to the meeting.

 

180.

P19/S0257/FUL - Land at Didcot Town Football Club, Bowmont Water, Didcot pdf icon PDF 400 KB

Development of 25 apartments, replacement car parking spaces, and new sports pitches (as amended by drawings received 19 February 2020, site plan received 10 June 2020, drawings received 10 October 2020 and drawings and energy statement received 22nd January 2021), site plan received March 2021.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The committee considered application P19/S0257/FUL for the development of 25 apartments, replacement car parking spaces, and new sports pitches (as amended by drawings received 19 February 2020, site plan received 10 June 2020, drawings received 10 October 2020 and drawings and energy statement received 22nd January 2021), site plan received March 2021.

 

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 this meeting.

 

The officer explained that the application had been presented to the committee as the officer’s recommendation conflicted with the view raised by Didcot Town Council. The town council’s objections had been raised for the following reasons:

1.)   The application did not keep to the character of the surrounding area.

2.)   An insufficient provision of car parking spaces.

3.)   That additional traffic would cause increased pressure on local roads.

4.)   The traffic and noise impact caused by the development.

5.)   The loss of privacy to Oak Tree Health Centre

The planning officer also explained that since the application last went to the committee, a site visit had been conducted including its surrounding context on the 9 August 2021.

 

It was confirmed that the proposed development would provide a rate of 40 per cent affordable housing through shared ownership housing units. Additionally, the location of the site was in a sustainable location which was within a maximum fifteen minute walking distance to Didcot railway station and Didcot town centre. The planning officer also clarified that several amendments had been made to the proposal during the application process, which included the removal of a smaller block of two apartments. The proposal had also removed the provision of a variety of pitches for recreational use which would be replaced by the provision of affordable housing. Additionally, the design of the external appearance of the proposed development had been amended and improved along with visitor parking spaces.

 

In relation to the concerns raised around the proximity of the application to the health centre, the planning officer explained that it was considered that the proposal complied with the council’s design guide in terms of separation distances and was therefore acceptable. In addition, the application provided a new forty space car park and would not see a loss in the provision for the Willowbrook Leisure Centre adjacent to the site. While there would be a reduction in thirty-two car parking spaces on the site (188 spaces reduced to 156), the officers considered that the sustainable location of the area would not be a sufficient reason to refuse the application.

 

The planning officer also suggested an additional condition which would be added should planning permission be granted. This condition would secure the provision of the replacement car parking area of forty cars prior to the commencement of the construction of the properties. The applicant had agreed to the inclusion of this provision. The planning officer also reported that the Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, had removed their objection in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 180.

 

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