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.

Apologies for absence was received from Councillors Ben Manning, who was substituted for Councillor Georgina Heritage, and Katharine Keats-Rohan, Tim Bearder, and Sam James-Lawrie.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2023. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 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.

The chair, Councillor David Bretherton, declared an interest in agenda item 7, application P22/S3033/FUL at the Smith Centre, Fairmile, Henley-on-Thames, as he was a shareowner of Aberdeen Ltd who owned the site, but he had no prejudicial interest so would continue to sit on the committee to debate and vote on the item.

Councillors Ed Sadler and Ali Gordon-Creed declared an interest on agenda item 9, as they had been to a site visit without an officer present on the site of application P23/S1610/S73, at Grove Hill Farm, Manor Road, Towersey, before it was submitted, and although they did not feel pre-determined on the application they would stand down from the committee during the item.

Councillor Ken Arlett declared an interest in agenda item 10, application P23/S3077/FUL at Greys Meadow Studio, near Rotherfield Greys, as he knew the applicant and so would leave the meeting room when the application was discussed.

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circumstances which have made the matters urgent and to receive any notification of any applications deferred or withdrawn.

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.

Demolition of the existing office floorspace and construction of an Extra Care residential development (C2 Class Use) together with ancillary amenity spaces, landscaping, car and cycle parking and associated plant. (As amplified by additional information received 30 January 2023 and amended by plans and information received 27 February 2023, 8 and 16 August 2023).

The committee considered planning application P22/S3033/FUL for the demolition of the existing office floorspace and construction of an Extra Care residential development (C2 Class Use) together with ancillary amenity spaces, landscaping, car and cycle parking and associated plant. (As amplified by additional information received 30 January 2023 and amended by plans and information received 27 February 2023, 8 and 16 August 2023), on land at The Smith Centre, Fairmile, Henley-on-Thames.  

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 it was brought to the committee due to the objection of Henley-Town-Council and was called in by a local ward member, Councillor Ken Arlett.

The application was for 108 units marketed for residents over 65 and included communal facilities, amenity space, landscaping, and parking provision. Permanent onsite assistance for residents was also highlighted as being provided.

The site itself was located to the north of Henley and was in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The planning officer also informed members that it was in the Joint Henley and Harpsden Neighbourhood Plan area, although unallocated, but that the site was not in the Henley Conservation Area.

The planning officer then provided members with a history of the buildings on the site and concluded by highlighting the comments of the conservation officer who had no concerns about their removal.  

The planning officer informed the committee that the proposal would remove all the buildings on the site and redevelop it as a single building around the retained trees. The footprint of the proposed building would be approximately the same size as the existing buildings, only adding 600 square metres and extending no further to the boundaries. However, it was noted that due to its singular design rather than multiple blocks, it would maximise space. On the elevations of the building, the proposal had reduced its total height through the application process and although it was indicated as still being taller than the existing buildings, as the landscape officer considered that the additional height would not harm the special character or appearance of the AONB due to the buildings green roofs, its screening by surrounding trees, the planning officer considered it acceptable.

The rest of the site was retained for formal and informal amenity space, including retained grass and woodland, and the planning officer confirmed that the amount of space provided was policy compliant. The vast majority of trees were also to be retained, with only a small number of poorer quality trees to be removed. She also noted that 27 additional mature trees would be planted as part of the landscaping scheme.

The planning officer gave significant weight to the loss of 40 per cent of the calcareous grassland on the site, a Priority Habitat which formed as a result of spoil from the development on the site in the 1990s. However, although no like-for-like  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117.

Construction of five dwellings, 1 x 2 bed, 3 x 3 bed and 1 x 4 bed, to be accessed via a new driveway from the public highway (Amended plans received 6 March 2023 - change in site to layout to re-locate car parking for all plots to the centre of the site; removal of swale at eastern side of site (replaced by increase in geo-cellular attenuation within the site); change in layout plan to draw plot 3 further back and amendment to layout of plots 1-3; increase in area for tree and shrub planting at front of site; provision of detailed landscaping plan for eastern part of site; increase in soft landscaping within car parking areas; updated biodiversity net gain calculation. Amended by plans received 27 April 2023 - Removal of unit 6 and two car parking spaces to provide views through the site and to remove view of second terrace from access road; revised layout of swale; increased planting on eastern boundary; soft landscaping on western boundary. Amended plans received 2 August 2023 with revised drainage strategy, amendments to fenestration of unit 4 and GCN report and impact plan).

During this agenda item, the meeting length had reached almost two and a half hours. In accordance with the council’s Constitution, the committee voted to extend the meeting in order to finish this item.

The committee considered planning application P22/S4323/FUL for the construction of five dwellings, 1 x 2 bed, 3 x 3 bed and 1 x 4 bed, to be accessed via a new driveway from the public highway (Amended plans received 6 March 2023 - change in site to layout to re-locate car parking for all plots to the centre of the site; removal of swale at eastern side of site (replaced by increase in geo-cellular attenuation within the site); change in layout plan to draw plot 3 further back and amendment to layout of plots 1-3; increase in area for tree and shrub planting at front of site; provision of detailed landscaping plan for eastern part of site; increase in soft landscaping within car parking areas; updated biodiversity net gain calculation. Amended by plans received 27 April 2023 - Removal of unit 6 and two car parking spaces to provide views through the site and to remove view of second terrace from access road; revised layout of swale; increased planting on eastern boundary; soft landscaping on western boundary. Amended plans received 2 August 2023 with revised drainage strategy, amendments to fenestration of unit 4 and GCN report and impact plan), on land to the west of the Green Marsh, Baldon.

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 was referred to the committee by the objection of Marsh Baldon Parish Council.

The planning officer informed the committee that the site was within the Green Belt and Marsh Baldon Conservation Area and was bordered by neighbours to the north and south and countryside to the west. The planning officer highlighted that the site was considered infill and that it had been allocated for up to six dwellings in the Baldons Neighbourhood Plan.

The application itself was for five dwellings laid out to replicate a farmyard and designed to appear like a barn conversion, which was similar to nearby dwellings. The eastern block was a single storey and one and a half storey dwelling with one 2 bed and two 3 bed dwelling and the rear block was a one and a half storey semi-detached dwelling consisting of a one 4 bedroom and one 3 bedroom dwelling.

New habitat was to be created to the north of site and included mixed scrub woods and grassland. The application was also noted as producing biodiversity net gain.

As the application was policy compliant and as the site was allocated in the neighbourhood plan, the planning officer recommended that the application be approved.

Dawn Mcgiveron spoke on behalf of Marsh Baldon Parish Council, objecting to the application. 

Peter Cave spoke objecting to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118.

Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) on application P22/S0537/FUL (Erection of replacement dwelling with associated parking and landscaping. Erection of a replacement pool house, machinery store and gates). Variation to reduce height of dwelling and build on ground level rather than setting property down into the ground and variations to the elevations. (As amended by plans received 3 July 2023 to demonstrate how deep the dwelling has been set down in the site and as amended by plans received 10 August 2023).

As the meeting time had expired, the application was deferred to the next meeting.

Application for the retention of Greys Meadow Studio (retrospective).

As the meeting time had expired, the application was deferred to another meeting.