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Agenda Item 7 West Area Planning Committee 11th August 2020 Application number: 20/01587/FUL Decision due by 26th August 2020 Extension of time N/a Proposal Demolition of existing buildings and erection of two storey building to provide office space (Use Class B1a). Provision of amenity space, car parking and bin and cycle stores with associated landscaping. Site address Car Park To The Rear Of Littlemead Business Park, Ferry Hinksey Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire – see Appendix 1 for site plan Ward Jericho And Osney Ward Case officer James Paterson Agent: Mr Alex Applicant: Neil Warner - JPPC Cresswell Chartered Planners Reason at Committee The application is before the committee because the size of the floorspace proposed means that this has to be determined by an Area Committee. 1. RECOMMENDATION 1.1. West Area Planning Committee is recommended to: 1.1.1. approve the application for the reasons given in the report and subject to the required planning conditions set out in section 12 of this report and grant planning permission; and 1.1.2. agree to delegate authority to the Head of Planning Services to: finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report including such refinements, amendments, additions and/or deletions as the Head of Planning Services considers reasonably necessary. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1. This report considers an application for the redevelopment of an underutilised plot on the Osney Mead industrial estate. The proposals would involve the demolition of a single storey building and the erection of a two storey office 153 building, 8 car parking spaces (which is a reduction compared to the existing parking provision) and the provision of 70 bicycle spaces. 2.2. Officers consider that the proposal would accord with the policies of the development plan when considered as a whole and the range of material considerations support the grant of planning permission. 2.3. The scheme would also accord with the aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework. The proposal would constitute sustainable development and given conformity with the development plan as a whole, paragraph 11 advises that the development proposal should be approved without delay. Furthermore there are not any material considerations that would outweigh the compliance with these national and local plan policies 3. LEGAL AGREEMENT 3.1. This application is not subject to a legal agreement. 4. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL) 4.1. The proposal is liable for CIL. 5. SITE AND SURROUNDINGS 5.1. The site is located within the wider Osney Mead industrial estate area. It is located off Ferry Hinksey Road that is known as Littlemead Business Park. The site is located at the end of a block of low scale businesses, where the main visible street fronted business is Europcar vehicle rentals. 5.2. The application site comprises the rear section of a single storey commercial building. The surrounding hard standing and car parking is currently used as part of the car rental business to the front of the application site. 5.3. The site is bounded by the electricity substation and associated infrastructure to the north; the electricity related infrastructure dominates the context of the site to the north. Oxbridge House (which is a commercial premises) lies to the east, and Europcar to the south and west. 5.4. The wider industrial estate has a variety of building forms and styles and a mixed pallet of materials and colours. The immediately adjacent buildings are constructed from a mix of brick and metal cladding and would not be considered to be buildings of a high architectural quality. 5.5. There is very little vegetation on the application site and the site is unlikely to be a habitat for protected species. 5.6. The site is a designated as a protected employment site and parts of the site are within a high risk flood area (floodzone 2 and 3a). 5.7. The application lies near to the Osney Town Conservation Area though it is unlikely (as a result of the surrounding development around the application site) that the proposals would impact on the setting of the Conservation Area. 154 The proposals would not impact on the setting of listed buildings. Despite this, the site is within the Raleigh Park View Cone, but is outside the defined high buildings area as set out in Policy DH2 of the Oxford Local Plan 2036. 5.8. See location plan below: 6. PROPOSAL 6.1. The application proposes the demolition of the single storey building on site and the erection of a two storey contemporary office building, with landscaping, 8 car parking spaces and space for storing 70 bicycles. 6.2. The proposal is for a two storey office (Use Class B1a) building located to the east of the site. The overall height would be 9.5 metres, which includes built in roof equipment and solar panels. 6.3. The building would occupy an L-shaped footprint. The two long protrusions would measure 23 metres and 21 metres while it would have a maximum depth of 11 metres. The upper level would be partly cantilevered, with that area covering the entrance as well as part of the cycle storage and car parking. The upper level would be approximately be 350m2 and the ground level would be 250m2. 6.4. The proposal is very similar to a previously approved scheme on this site, 19/01774/FUL; the previous application was decided at the West Area Planning Committee on 10th September 2019. The main differences are the location and shape of the building; although there has been an increase of 37m2 (6%) to the 155 floor space of the building, an increase of 10 cycle parking spaces and an increase of 30m2 in the footprint of the building. These changes were necessitated by conditions on site which were unknown at the time of the submission of that application. 7. RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY 7.1. The table below sets out the relevant planning history for the application site: 04/00717/HAZ - Application for hazardous substance consent for storage of liquified petroleum gas (LPG). PER 25th June 2004. 19/01774/FUL - Demolition of existing buildings and erection of two storey building to provide office space (Use Class B1a). Provision of car parking, cycle stores, bin stores and amenity space with associated landscaping (Amended Plans).. PER 24th January 2020. 8. RELEVANT PLANNING POLICY 8.1. The following policies are relevant to the application: Topic National Local Plan Other Neighbourhood Planning planning Plans: Policy documents Framework Design 12, 127 S1, DH1, Conservation/ 16 DH2, DH3 Heritage Commercial 6 E1 Natural 15 G2 environment Transport 9 M3, M5 Environmental 11, 14 RE1, RE2, RE3, RE4, RE7, RE9 Miscellaneous SP2 9. CONSULTATION RESPONSES 156 9.1. Site notices were displayed around the application site on 8th July 2020. Statutory and non-statutory consultees Oxfordshire County Council (Highways) 9.2. No objection, subject to conditions. They have requested a condition which would seek further details regarding cycle parking, including the dimensions and means of enclosure, prior to the commencement of work. They have also requested a condition which would require a construction traffic management plan. 9.3. Planning officers consider that there is sufficient detail of the cycle parking in the submitted site plan and elevation drawings so as to be able to approve the proposed cycle parking arrangements without the need for a pre-commencement condition. Regard has been paid to the fact that the Highways Authority are statutory consultees on this matter, however, planning officers consider that their view is outweighed by the consideration of Paragraph 55 of the NPPF, as the condition is unnecessary for the development to be acceptable. 9.4. Planning officers understand the need for a construction traffic management plan; this has been required by condition 6. Environment Agency 9.5. No comment has been received by the Environment Agency within the proscribed consultation period. They were consulted on 8th July 2020. Any consultation response shall be provided as a verbal update to the committee Public representations 9.6. 2 local people commented on this application from addresses in the Osney Mead Industrial Park. 9.7. In summary, the main points of objection were: Access across the site to service nearby units would need to be maintained Access to water meters would need to be retained and unimpeded Potential damage during construction 9.8. Officer response 9.9. Officers have considered carefully the objections to these proposals. Officers have come to the view, for the detailed reasons set out in the officer’s report, that the reasons for the objections do not amount, individually or cumulatively, to a reason for refusal and that all the issues that have been raised have been adequately addressed and the relevant bodies consulted. 9.10. Planning officers understand that the applicant is in sole ownership of the land with no other party having right of access over the site. Planning officers consider that access to the water metres on the site would still be possible as the cycle racks could readily be removed and replaced as needed; in any case this is a 157 building control matter and not a planning matter. Any potential damage caused to property is a civil matter and is not a planning consideration. 10. PLANNING MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 10.1. Officers consider the determining issues to be: i. Principle of development ii. Design & Heritage iii. Neighbouring amenity iv. Highways v. Flooding vi. Contamination i. Principle of development 10.2. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out a presumption in favour of sustainable development (paragraph 11) and encourages the efficient use of previously developed (brownfield) land (paragraph 117), as well as the importance of high quality design (Section 12).