Agenda and draft 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 Axel MacDonald and Tim Bearder.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Planning Committee minutes of the meeting held on 14 August 2024. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 August 2024 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circumstances which have made the matters urgent and to receive any notification of any applications deferred or withdrawn.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.

Residential development of 44 dwellings including demolition of 43 Springhill Road, vehicular and pedestrian accesses, play area, public open space and associated landscaping and earthworks.

The committee considered planning application P20/S2488/FUL for the residential development of 44 dwellings including demolition of 43 Springhill Road, vehicular and pedestrian accesses, play area, public open space and associated landscaping and earthworks.), on land at 43 Springhill Road, Goring, RG8 0BY.  

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 provided an update and highlighted that since the publication of the report the highways officer at Oxfordshire County Council had requested that the proposed uncontrolled crossing at the site entrance on Wallingford Road be moved slightly with the inclusion of a condition to this effect.

The planning officer introduced the report and highlighted that the application sought permission for the erection of 44 dwellings and the demolition of the existing property and that the site was allocated in the Goring Neighbourhood Plan. The site was located on a prominent hillside in Goring within the open rolling downs landscape and within the Chilterns National Landscape and in the setting of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. She clarified that the application site did not cover the entire allocated site as set out in the Goring Neighbourhood Plan.

The planning officer showed the committee a number of photos from the site and highlighted that many of the mature trees on the southern boundary of the site were covered by tree protection orders. The planning officer went on to advise that the site access would be sunk as per the Neighbourhood Plan and with the steepest part of the site being sunk by around three metres. The committee were shown site sections to demonstrate the level of cut and fill that was required. The planning officer informed the committee that the Chilterns Area of Outstanding National Beauty board had suggested the removal of the four dwellings at the top of the site but even if they were removed the site would need to be levelled for the access road and a retaining structure required. The planning officer went on to inform the committee that a key requirement of the Neighbourhood Plan was that the development did not break the crest of the hill and the planning officer confirmed that information had been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed development would not do so. Whilst the landscape officer had said that there was little margin for error, the planning officer was satisfied that the development met this key Neighbourhood Plan policy requirement. The planning officer showed further photos of the site from various vantage points highlighting that views of the site from Wallingford Road would be fleeting, most likely from a moving vehicle and that whilst the viewpoints from the south were more significant, existing mature trees would screen the site to a large extent and the development would be seen in the context of the existing village and rolling countryside would still be evident.

The planning officer further advised the committee that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

Erection of a storage building (B8 storage and distribution use) with associated access off Britwell Road, together with parking, landscaping and all enabling works (additional speed survey and other information received 12th March 2024 and additional highways technical note received 5^th July 2024).

The committee considered planning application P24/S0072/FUL for the erection of a storage building (B8 storage and distribution use) with associated access off Britwell Road, together with parking, landscaping and all enabling works (additional speed survey and other information received 12th March 2024 and additional highways technical note received 5th July 2024), on land at Watlington Yard, Britwell Road, Watlington, OX49 5JY.

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 sought permission for the erection of a storage building on an existing employment site to the southern edge of Watlington. He confirmed that officers considered the principle of employment development in this location was supported by Local Plan Policies EMP3 and EMP10 and Neighbourhood Plan Policy P7. The planning officer went on to confirm that officers were also of the view that the development as proposed was sufficiently in keeping with its immediate surroundings and would conserve the setting of the nearby Chilterns National Landscape. Further to this, officers were of the view that the relationship of the proposal with its neighbours was acceptable.

The planning officer advised that the Local Highways Authority had identified an increased risk to highways safety as a result of the development with use of an access with substandard visibility but that the existing use of the site did not contain any planning conditions restricting the hours of operation or frequency and nature of vehicular use. He went on to advise that the applicant for the application before the committee had provided a Transport Technical Note which set out that the working hours of the site would be 09:00 until 15:00 with a total of two deliveries and/or collections to the site per day, that vehicles accessing the site would be either a 7.1 metre rigid vehicle or a transit van type vehicle and that no customer visits would be permitted to the site. The planning officer confirmed that these requirements could be secured via condition and that with this condition in place the objections of the Local Highways authority could be overcome as the proposal would result in a loss of vehicular movements to and from the site.

The planning officer informed the committee that matters relating to ecology, external lighting, drainage, tree and hedge protection, landscaping and carbon reduction could be dealt with through the recommended conditions to the satisfaction of the relevant specialist officers. Officers were satisfied that the application complied with the relevant development management policies and was therefore recommended for approval.

Arron Twamley, the agent representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

The committee asked the planning officer to confirm how the proposed condition on vehicular movements would be enforced in practice. The planning officer advised that it would rely upon the neighbouring properties reporting any breaches and keeping a record of any evidence. He further confirmed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

Conversion of redundant barn to a single dwelling unit with a front projecting extension to create an entrance hall, with also a detached garage and store outbuilding. (As amended and clarified by revised materials, roof light details and structural report received 15 September 2023 and as further clarified by revised structural repair details and drawings 2127-05B and 2127-08 accompanying agent's email dated 5 June 2024).

The committee considered planning application P24/S2544/FUL and listed building consent application P24/S2545/LB for the conversion of redundant barn to a single dwelling unit with a front projecting extension to create an entrance hall, with also a detached garage and store outbuilding. (As amended and clarified by revised materials, roof light details and structural report received 15 September 2023 and as further clarified by revised structural repair details and drawings 2127-05B and 2127-08 accompanying agent's email dated 5 June 2024). on Land at Court House, Toot Baldon, OX44 9NG.

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 a correction was required to the report in that a neighbour comment included at the end of page 120 of the agenda pack related to another application and should be removed. The planning officer informed the committee that the applications sought planning permission and listed building consent for the extension and conversion of a barn to a three bed dwelling. The planning application also included the erection of a three bay outbuilding housing a double garage and store on the ground floor and a studio/storage area above.

The planning officer informed the committee that the applications were referred to committee due to the objection of the parish council. She informed the committee that the barn was curtilage listed to Court House Farm and lay within the Toot Baldon conservation area and within the Oxford Green Belt. The planning officer advised that the conversion of the barn was acceptable in policy terms with the site being located in within the settlement of Toot Baldon and surrounded by other buildings.

Addressing the concerns of the neighbour and parish council in relation to the size of the outbuilding and the relationship to the neighbour’s garden the planning officer advised that the outbuilding lay to the north of the neighbour and would therefore not block sunlight. In addition to this she advised that the outbuilding was located 10 metres from the side wall of the neighbouring property and neighbour privacy had been protected by ensuring that windows in the side elevations with the potential to overlook were obscure glazed.

The planning officer concluded by stating that planning permission and listed building consent had already been granted on the site for a similar proposal with the only difference being the proposed size of the outbuilding. Both the planning application and listed building consent application were recommended for approval.

Andy Speight spoke on behalf of Toot Baldon Parish Council, objecting to the application.

Carole Trinder spoke objecting to the application. 

Ian Mills, the agent representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application.

The committee asked the planning officer to confirm if there had been discussions about the orientation of the garage/outbuilding  so as to ensure less impact on the neighbour and, in their view, better access to the garage. The planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.