Agenda item

Demolition of a range of existing B8 storage buildings and the erection of five dwellings with associated covered and open parking and amenity space provision. 

The committee considered application P16/S4177/FUL for planning permission to demolish existing B8 storage buildings and erect five dwellings with associated parking and amenity space, on land at Bloom Buildings, West End, 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 this meeting.

Officer update: the officer reported that since publication of the agenda pack, the county council had requested an archaeological survey before this development commenced.  The officer recommended additional conditions to cover this request. 

Paul Ramsay, on behalf of the Cholsey neighbourhood planning group, spoke objecting to the application.  His concerns included:

·         The site had employment use, not residential use

·         This was outside the built up area of the village

·         It was in an unsustainable location, encouraging further car use

·         There were no special circumstances to approve this application

Mark Gray, a representative of Cholsey Parish Council, spoke objecting to the application, his concerns included:

·         The site was outside of the village and was inappropriate for housing development and would set a precedent

·         It had a poor access from the village through the small railway bridge and along a single-track road that was prone to flooding

·         It was unsustainable development

·         It was overdevelopment of the site

·         There was only a private water supply to the site with low water pressure, insufficient for more housing

Sarah Wright spoke objecting to the application, her concerns included:

·         This was development in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that would create a precedent

·         The access to the site was poor

·         The development would have an adverse impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring residents

·         There was no mains drain for sewage

·         There was no public water supply to the site, only a private supply that would be insufficient for further development 

·         If the development proceeded, there must be no adverse impact to the existing residents’ water supplies and drainage system

Adrian Gould, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application:

·         The council did not have a five-year housing land supply

·         The site had permission to be used more intensively for B8 storage

·         Residential development would be less intrusive than B8 storage use

·         There would be no adverse impact on the neighbours

·         The site was well screened and there would not be any adverse impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

·         This was a sustainable development close to local services and good public transport links

·         There were no unresolved issues from the technical consultees

·         The lack of a mains water supply was not a formal requirement of a planning application but details of a water supply were required by the officer’s recommended conditions 

The committee considered the application, with advice from officers where appropriate. The committee considered that:

·         Although this was not the best location due to the access road and being away from the village, it provided a more neighbourly use than the currently permitted B8 storage use

·         The development had been well-designed

·         The water supply was covered by the officer’s recommended planning condition

·         Permitted development rights should be removed to require future, secondary applications on this site to come to the local planning authority

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

RESOLVED: to approve planning permission for application P16/S4177/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

1.      Commencement three years.

2.      The development must be carried out in accordance with the approved plans.

3.      Schedule of materials to be submitted for approval.

4.      Existing vehicular access shall be improved to Oxfordshire County Council specifications.

5.      Parking and manoeuvring areas retained.

6.      Construction traffic management.

7.      No garage conversion into accommodation.

8.      Wildlife protection (mitigation as approved).

9.      Contaminated land (preliminary risk assessment).

10.    Contaminated land - remediation strategy.

11.    Scheme for external lighting.

12.    Water supply assessment to be submitted.

13.      The applicant, or their agents or successors in title, shall be responsible for organising and implementing an archaeological watching brief, to be maintained during the period of construction/during any ground works taking place on the site.  The watching brief shall be carried out by a professional archaeological organisation in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation that has first been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. 

14.      Following the approval of the Written Scheme of Investigation referred to in condition 13, no development shall commence on site without the appointed archaeologist being present.  Once the watching brief has been completed its findings shall be reported to the Local Planning Authority, as agreed in the Written Scheme of Investigation, including all processing, research and analysis necessary to produce an accessible and useable archive and a full report for publication. 

15.      Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking or re-enacting that Order), the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of any dwellinghouse as described in Schedule 2, Part 1, Class A of the Order shall not be undertaken without obtaining planning permission for the Local Planning Authority. 

16.      Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking or re-enacting that Order) the provision within the curtilage of the dwelling of any building, enclosure or swimming pool as described in Schedule 2, Part 1, Class E of the Order shall not be undertaken without obtaining planning permission for the Local Planning Authority.