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Agenda Item 4 WEST AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE 7th July 2020 Application number: 20/00182/VAR Decision due by 25th March 2020 Extension of time To be agreed Proposal Removal of condition 7 (Time limit of 6 years from occupation) of planning permission 15/03087/VAR (Variation of condition 7 (Time limit of 3 years) of prior approval 15/00096/PA18 (Application seeking prior approval for development comprising extension to the length of existing north bay platforms, replacement platform canopies, new re-locatable rail staff accommodation building and reconfiguration of short stay and staff car parking under Part 11 Class A Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.)) to allow the approved TOC accommodation building to remain permanently.(amended description) Site address Oxford Railway Station , Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1HS – see Appendix 1 for site plan Ward Jericho And Osney Ward Case officer Robert Fowler Agent: N/A Applicant: Mr Ian Wheaton Reason at Committee The application is before the committee because the previous decision to grant planning permission for the building was approved at committee (15/00096/PA11); this application represents a significant amendment to that application. 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. 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 97 Planning Services considers reasonably necessary 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1. This report considers an application to remove Condition 7 of the planning permission that granted the development of the existing temporary train operating company accommodation building (referred to as the ‘TOC Building’) (reference 15/03087/VAR) which would allow it to be retained for a period of more than six years from occupation. 2.2. The aforementioned application 15/03087/VAR was itself a variation of the original permission 15/00096/PA11; an application for prior approval to carry out various improvement works focused on the north-eastern side of the station site that facilitated the delivery of East West Rail Phase I works (formerly referred to as Evergreen 3). The development of the associated track improvements, platform extensions and demolition of previous buildings on the site allowed for the running of services from Oxford to London Marylebone which commenced in December 2016. 2.3. The TOC building is in situ and has been occupied since July 2019. The building is a rectangular, two-storey, flat roofed, re-locatable building providing a gross internal area of 1400m2 for TOC accommodation and food processing space for the three catering companies operating at the station. It is a modular construction with footprint of some 56.4m x 12.2m and is approximately 8.3 metres high. The building is constructed with a buff brick and grey metal cladding finish. 2.4. The TOC building is situated to the north-east of the main Oxford Railway Station building and immediately adjacent to the existing short-stay car park. The application site lies outside of the Central Conservation Area. 2.5. Whilst at the time the decision to impose Condition 7 of application 15/03087/VAR was justified given uncertainties around the long-term development of the station site, the adoption of the Oxford Railway Station SPD and subsequent work to refresh the masterplan for the station site means that the retention of the TOC building is now justified. Officers consider that as a result, it is appropriate to remove Condition 7 which would effectively allow the TOC building to remain in situ in perpetuity. 3. LEGAL AGREEMENT 3.1. This application is not to a legal agreement. 4. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL) 4.1. The proposal is not CIL liable. 5. SITE AND SURROUNDINGS 5.1. The site is located at the northern end of the railway station site. Whilst this is a City Centre location there are residential properties to the immediate north and east of the application site in Stable Close and Rewley Road. The TOC 98 building itself is located on higher ground; being the same elevation as the adjacent railway to the west. To the south of the application site lies the existing short-stay car park for the railway station, the bus and taxi waiting areas and the main station building. To the south-east of the application site is the Said Business School. 5.2. The site lies outside of the Central Conservation Area and as a result of the presence of larger buildings including the Said Business School between the site and the Conservation Area boundary and the distance from the site to the edge of Conservation Area boundary (300m) it is considered that the proposed development would not impact on the Conservation Area’s setting. 5.3. The site lies within the high buildings area for the purposes of Policy DH2 of the Oxford Local Plan 2036 where the height of buildings needs to be carefully considered in the context of Oxford’s historic skyline. As the building only measures 8.2m in height it does not impact on the setting of listed buildings in the City Centre and a visual assessment is not required in this case. 5.4. The site lies to the west of the former Rewley Abbey site; an area of high archaeological potential. The proposals are to retain an existing building and would not impact on archaeology. 5.5. There are no trees or vegetation on the site. 5.6. See location plan below: 6. PROPOSAL 6.1. The application proposes to remove condition 7 of planning permission 15/03087/VAR which required that the existing TOC building was removed 99 after a period of six years from occupation. The removal of this condition would effectively allow the TOC building to be retained permanently. 6.2. Application 15/03087/VAR was a variation of the original planning permission 15/00096/PA11 that approved the development of the TOC building, amongst other improvements to the railway that were carried out to enable the running of train services from Oxford to London Marylebone. For clarity, the subsequent variation of conditions application 15/03087/VAR means that this is the extant permission on the site. The planning history of the site indicates that the other conditions associated with the planning permission 15/03087/VAR that included issues relating to land contamination, surface water drainage and remediation have been complied with (reference 15/03087/CND). 6.3. The TOC building was occupied in July 2019 and as a result, the existing condition 7 attached to planning permission 15/03087/VAR means that the building would need to be removed by July 2025. 7. RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY 7.1. The table below sets out the relevant planning history for the application site: 15/00096/PA18 - Application seeking prior approval for development comprising extension to the length of existing north bay platforms, replacement platform canopies, new re-locatable rail staff accommodation building and reconfiguration of short stay and staff car parking under Part 11 Class A Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. (PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A PLANNING APPLICATION BUT A NOTIFICATION SUBMITTED BY NETWORK RAIL FOR PRIOR APPROVAL BY OXFORD CITY COUNCIL.) Following an options assessment, the building has been relocated 2.5m to the south and has been reduced in size at first floor level by 186 sq.m; revised parking layout (AMENDED PLANS). 2PA 10th September 2015. 15/03087/VAR - Variation of condition 7 (Time limit of 3 years) of prior approval 15/00096/PA18 (Application seeking prior approval for development comprising extension to the length of existing north bay platforms, replacement platform canopies, new re-locatable rail staff accommodation building and reconfiguration of short stay and staff car parking under Part 11 Class A Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.) to allow the approved TOC accommodation building to remain for 6 years from occupation of the building.. PER 1st December 2015. 15/03087/CND - Details submitted in compliance with conditions 1 (Samples), 3 (Contaminated Land Risk Assessment), 5 (Unexpected Contamination) and 6 (Surface Water Disposal) of planning permission 15/03087/VAR.. SPL 28th January 2016. 100 8. RELEVANT PLANNING POLICY 8.1. The following policies are relevant to the application: Topic National Local Plan Other Planning planning Policy documents Framework Design Paragraphs AOC1, DH1, 124 - 132 RE2, S1, RE1 Conservation/ Paragraphs Heritage 184, 189 - 202 Natural Paragraphs environment 148-165, 170 – 183 Social and SP1, RE3, community RE8, RE9 Transport Paragraphs M1, SP1, M3, Oxford 102-111 M5 Station SPD 9. CONSULTATION RESPONSES 9.1. Site notices were displayed around the application site on 13th May 2020. Statutory and non-statutory consultees Oxfordshire County Council (Highways) 9.2. No objections, the application seeks a retention of the existing building which is not causing highway safety issues. Public representations 9.3. Councillor John Howson, objections: - Various cycle parking and other cycle improvements should be required by condition as part of this application. - Improvements to access at the western side of the station should be sought. - The application should be refused to allow Network Rail to address the aforementioned shortcomings of the existing station. Officer response 9.4. The comments from the Councillor are highly relevant to the overall masterplan for the railway station site.