Agenda item

Application for outline planning permission for up to 70 homes with associated open space and sustainable drainage with all matters reserved.  As amended/clarified by plans and information received 17 September 2020.

The committee considered application P19/S1928/O for outline planning permission for up to 70 homes with associated open space and sustainable drainage with all matters reserved. As amended/clarified by plans and information received 17 September 2020, on land off Cuxham Road, Watlington.

 

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 planning officer reminded the committee that as this was an outline application, all matters were reserved. Layout, scale, appearance, landscaping and access would be considered later under a ‘reserved matters’ application, if outline planning permission were granted.  Planning officers were satisfied that the site could accommodate 70 homes and deliver an edge road.

 

The planning officer also reported that appendix C of the report depicted an indicative layout of the housing and roads, utilising the existing roundabout at Willow Close for the edge road.  This route was not shown in the Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan, but was the alternative option being explored by Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and was shown as safeguarded in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035. OCC had yet to determine the line of the edge road.

 

The report contained updated comments from council officers regarding the housing mix. The council’s housing development team had commented on this application prior to the adoption of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan (SOLP) 2035, and had suggested a mix which accorded with the affordable housing policy in the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy (SOCS).  The SOCS policy (policy CSH3) required a tenure mix of 75 per cent social rented and 25 per cent shared ownership. New council Policy H9 of the SOLP 2035 required a tenure mix of 40 per cent affordable rented, 35 per cent social rented and 25 per cent other affordable routes to home ownership. The affordable homes would be secured through the provisions of a section 106 legal agreement.

 

The planning officer reported that an additional condition 28 would be recommended, which would be in addition to recommended condition 22 (air quality mitigation measures). There would be a requirement for on plot electric vehicle charging points for all housing, communal parking and on street parking. These measures could be secured through a s.106 agreement. The developer had anticipated these proposals and had agreed to them.

 

The planning officer reported that the contributions/obligations which had been secured by OCC to mitigate the impact of the development were incorrectly stated at paragraph 6.70 of the report; instead of a £7,000 per dwelling contribution towards Watlington edge road, this figure should read £7,400.  The applicant was aware of this correction and had agreed the amounts.

The planning officer was also reported that the government’s Planning Casework Unit (PCU) had received a request from a third party to call-in the application. In the event of the committee approving the application, a referral to the PCU would be necessary.

 

Cllr. Andrew McAuley, Chair of the Watlington Parish Council Planning Committee in support of the application. The democratic services officer had submitted his statement to the committee prior to the meeting.

 

Councillor Ian Goldsmith, Chair of Cuxham with Easington parish meeting spoke objecting to the application. He wished to make clear that he also objected to application P19/S1927/O.

 

Mr. Jeremy Bell representing Marlbrook Estate residents spoke objecting to the application. The democratic services officer had submitted his statement to the committee prior to the meeting.

 

Mr. Dominic Mahoney of Glebe Farm spoke objecting to the application. The democratic services officer had submitted his statement to the committee prior to the meeting.

 

Mr. Robert Wickham, the agent spoke in support of the application. The democratic services officer had submitted his statement to the committee prior to the meeting.

 

Councillor Anna Badcock, the local ward councillor, spoke to the application.

 

The committee considered that recommended extra condition 28 on electric vehicle charging points should be supported, and requested officers to urge OCC to decide upon the edge road route without further delay.

 

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

 

RESOLVED: to grant outline planning permission for application P19/S1928/O subject to the following conditions:

 

i)          Referral to the National Casework Unit;

 

ii)         The prior completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure the affordable housing, financial contributions and other obligations stated above, and

 

iii)        The following conditions:

 

Reserved matters (including details to be submitted), time limit and approved plans

 

1.         Submission of reserved matters

2.         Reserved matters to be submitted within three years

3.         Commencement

4.         Approved plans

5.         No more than 70 dwellings

6.         Market mix

7.         Details to be submitted with condition 1:

-           energy statement

-           details of roads, accesses, footpaths and services

-           schedule of external materials

-           vehicle and cycle parking facilities

-           waste and recycling facilities

-           boundary treatments 

-           details of all street furniture

-           existing and proposed ground levels

-           maintenance schedule and long-term management plan for soft landscaping

 

Pre-commencement

 

8.         Phasing plan

9.         Details of off-site highway works

10.       Construction Traffic Management Plan

11.       Green Travel Plan

12.       Lighting plan

13.       Environmental Management Plan for Biodiversity

14.       Biodiversity Enhancement Plan

15.       Tree and hedge protection

16.       Surface water drainage scheme

17.       Foul water drainage scheme (including Thames Waters requirements)

18.       Noise from Edge Road and any necessary mitigation

 

Prior to Occupation

 

19.       Access provision

20.       Pedestrian, cycle and vehicular access

21.       Details of play areas and timetable for implementation

22.       Air quality mitigation measures

23.       Superfast broadband connectivity

 

Compliance conditions

 

24.       Hours of construction

25.       At least 15% of market housing to meet Part M (4) Category 2

26.       At least 5% of affordable housing to meet Part M (4) Category 3

27.       All affordable housing and 1 and 2 bed market housing to meet Nationally Described Space Standards

 

Additional condition 28 on electric vehicle charging points