Agenda item

Change of use of land for car parking for a temporary period of two years until 2 September 2025.

The committee considered planning application P23/S1775/FUL for the change of use of land for car parking for a temporary period of two years until 2 September 2025, on land at Car Park, Station Road, Didcot.  

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 brought to the committee as the applicant was South Oxfordshire District Council and due to the objection of Didcot Town Council.

The planning officer informed the committee that that town council’s concerns were primarily about the car park being made redundant by the new multistorey carpark and that the application site should be used for alternative purposes.

The site itself sat opposite Didcot Parkway station, was about 0.53 hectares, and contained 253 parking spaces and 8 disability spaces. The car park was in use since 2006 and permission was renewed on several occasions since that commencement date, most recently in 2021 which would then expire on 2 September 2023. The planning officer confirmed that planning permission was sought for the retention of use of the land as a car park until the 2 September 2025, by which time work on the council’s new offices was hoped to have commenced.

In addition, the planning officer noted that the car park had an average daily use of 61 per cent, around 154 spaces, and that no approach had been made to South Oxfordshire District Council for alternative uses of the site. The planning officer also clarified to the committee that he believed that the most likely alternative to the sites use as a car park would be that it would become a vacant site.

Overall, as the planning officer considered that the use of the site as a temporary car park would be a benefit to the council and residents, that the site’s appearance as a car park would be an improvement over its use as a vacant site, and as there were no objections from technical consultees, he recommended the application be approved.

Councillor Stephen Cole spoke on behalf of Didcot Town Council objecting to the application. 

John Salmons spoke objecting to the application. 

Karen Lister, representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

The committee asked the planning officer about if the material harm to the environment caused by the amount of car usage by the application was assessed. In response, the planning officer confirmed that the council had considered it in the planning balance, but that as the car park was in place since 2006, they did not see the site’s continued use as a car park as being a further improvement or detriment to the site. Members also asked for clarity about the officer’s acknowledgement in the report that the car park did not positively contribute to the street scene, but they were ultimately satisfied with the confirmation that the application was temporary as the council had recently submitted an application for the site’s permanent redevelopment, and that a car park was the best temporary use of the land.

The committee then discussed adding a potential condition on the application’s approval requiring discussions to be held between South Oxfordshire District Council and Didcot Town Council about ways of enhancing the area. However, the development manager clarified that this would not be a possible condition, and this view was accepted by members.

Despite some members believing that the site was of visual detriment to the amenity of the area and that there could be better uses for the land, overall, the committee agreed that the application should be approved as it was the best temporary use of the land until the site was permanently redeveloped by the current council’s application. Therefore, the committee agreed to approve the application subject to conditions.

A motion, moved and seconded, to approve the application was carried on being put to the vote with the chair using his casting vote.

RESOLVED: to approve planning application P23/S1775/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

1. Temporary use of land

2. Approved plans