Agenda item

Construction of three bedroom house. (As amplified by arboricultural information received on 26 September 2023, amended by plan 833 1 C to reduce the red site area received 12 December 2023, revised site plan received 18 December 2023 and ecological assessment and biodiversity metric calculation received 8 January 2024).

The committee considered planning application P23/S1723/FUL for the construction of three bedroom house (as amplified by arboricultural information received on 26 September 2023, amended by plan 833 1 C to reduce the red site area received 12 December 2023, revised site plan received 18 December 2023 and ecological assessment and biodiversity metric calculation received 8 January 2024), on the site at the entrance to the track to Warren Farm, Holton.  

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 due to the objection of Holton Parish Council as they believed that the application did not constitute infill development.

The planning officer informed the committee that the site was considered to be agricultural and formed part of the Shotover Estate, within in the Oxford Green Belt. She believed the principle of development to be acceptable as it was considered to be limited infill in a village, something permitted in the Green Belt, as it formed part of a continuous line of development along the road. Holton was also noted as being a village where infill developments were acceptable.

The proposed dwelling was in a traditional style and in keeping with the surrounding character of the area, whilst providing generous private amenity space and not impacting neighbouring amenity. The planning officer also highlighted that the application had received no objections from Highways, and as they entered into the Great Crested Newt licensing scheme, there were no objections from the ecologist either. 

The planning officer did note that she only considered one dwelling at the front of the site to be infill and any further development would be subject to a separate planning application.

As the application was considered to be infill development, and that there were no objections from technical consultees, the planning officer recommended that the application be approved.

Brian Pridmore spoke on behalf of Holton Parish Council, objecting to the application. 

Councillor Tim Bearder, a local ward councillor, spoke objecting to the application. 

The committee asked the planning officer about the definition of infill and in response she clarified that that development in the Green Belt was inappropriate unless it came under one of several circumstances, limited infill in a village being one example. As she believed that the application site was a small gap in an otherwise continuous built-up frontage, she believed it was infill and therefore acceptable.

Members enquired into the possibility for the removal of permitted development rights and the planning officer confirmed that this had been a suggested condition on the approval of the application. 

In response to a question about if a development in the proposed garden would also be considered infill, the planning officer indicated that each application would need to be assessed on its merits, and that the current application was considered infill development.

Members discussed the surroundings to the proposed application site and noted that there were dwellings on either side of the proposed property along the road. Therefore, as the committee agreed that the site was infill, they found that the principle of development to be acceptable. In addition, as they could see no other material planning reasons to refuse the application, they agreed that it should be approved subject to conditions.

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

RESOLVED: to approve planning application P23/S1723/FUL, subject to the following conditions:

1. Commencement 3 years - Full Planning Permission

2. Approved plans

3. Materials as on plan

4. New vehicular access

5. Vision splay dimensions

6. Parking & Manoeuvring Areas Retained

7. Tree protection

8. Landscaping

9. Biodiversity measures

10. Ecology

11. Energy Statement verification

12. EV charging point

13. Surface water drainage details to be submitted.

14. Removal of Permitted Development (PD) rights Class A

15. Removal of Permitted Development (PD) rights Class E

16. Development in accordance with the Council’s Organisational License

17. No development except in accordance with Part 1 of the Great crested newts (GCN) mitigation Principles.

Informatives:

18. Nature Space Best Practice

19. Great crested newts (GCN) District Licence

20. Criminal Liability in relation to District Licence.

21. Highways