WEST OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL UPLANDS AREA PLANNING SUB-COMMITTEE Date: 1st June 2020 REPORT OF THE BUSINESS MANAGER – DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT Purpose: To consider applications for development details of which are set out in the following pages. Recommendations: To determine the applications in accordance with the recommendations of the Business Manager. The recommendations contained in the following pages are all subject to amendments in the light of observations received between the preparation of the reports etc and the date of the meeting. List of Background Papers All documents, including forms, plans, consultations and representations on each application, but excluding any document, which in the opinion of the ‘proper officer’ discloses exempt information as defined in Section 1001 of the Local Government Act 1972. Please note that observations received after the reports in this schedule were prepared will be summarised in a document which will be published late on the last working day before the meeting and available at the meeting or from www.westoxon.gov.uk/meetings Item No. 4, Page 1 of 53 Application Address Page Number 19/02863/FUL Greystones, Hook Norton Road, Great Rollright 3 19/03407/FUL Marshalls Barn, Church Enstone, Chipping Norton 9 19/03504/OUT Cotswolds Hotel And Spa, Southcombe, Chipping Norton 15 20/00032/FUL Land South Of Dark Lane, Wilcote Riding, Finstock 32 20/00287/FUL Unit 7 Wychwood Business Park, Milton Road, Shipton-Under- 38 Wychwood 20/00515/FUL Heythrop Hunt Kennels, Kennels Lane, Chipping Norton 44 20/00516/FUL Heythrop Hunt Kennels, Kennels Lane, Chipping Norton 49 Item No. 4, Page 2 of 53 Application Number 19/02863/FUL Site Address Greystones Hook Norton Road Great Rollright Chipping Norton Oxfordshire OX7 5SB Date 19th May 2020 Officer Chloe Jacobs Officer Recommendations Refuse Parish Rollright Parish Council Grid Reference 432986 E 231421 N Committee Date 1st June 2020 Location Map © Crown copyright and database rights 2016 Ordnance Survey 100024316 Application Details: Construction of new stables, ancillary building and manege (amended plans and description (Access no longer forms part of the application)) Applicant Details: Miss Louisa Harvey, Greystones, Hook Norton Road, Great Rollright, Chipping Norton, OX7 5SB Item No. 4, Page 3 of 53 1 CONSULTATIONS 1.1 Parish Council The Parish Council has no objection to this application 1.2 OCC Lead Local Flood No Comment Received. Authority 1.3 OCC Highways The proposal, if permitted, will not have a significant detrimental impact ( in terms of highway safety and convenience ) on the adjacent highway network Recommendation: Oxfordshire County Council, as the Local Highways Authority, hereby notify the District Planning Authority that they do not object to the granting of planning permission, subject to condition. 1.4 WODC Drainage As the above application is considered a major (>1000m2 footprint) Engineers we will not be providing comments in this instance and would expect the Lead Local Flood Authority to be consulted. 1.5 WODC Env Health - No Comment Received. Uplands 2 REPRESENTATIONS No third party representations have been received. 3 APPLICANT'S CASE 3.1 A planning statement was submitted with the application which concludes: 3.2 This is a proposal that fits the needs of an equestrian activity on site. The rider and horses are trained to a very high standard and need high quality facilities to reach the levels required for national competition, whilst riding in a safe environment. 3.3 The visual impact of these proposals was considered by the council planning officers, and their conclusion is favourable. 3.4 The use of traditional materials and low height designs, will reduce the visual impact of these buildings within the site. Planting throughout the holding has helped to enhance the natural appearance of this site within the Cotswolds AONB. 3.5 Subject to all appropriate planning conditions it is our summation that the proposals accord with all relevant planning policies. 3.6 Should you require any more information, please do make contact at your convenience. In the meantime, we await the Council's decision in due course. 3.7 The full statement can be viewed online Item No. 4, Page 4 of 53 3.8 Further correspondence with the applicant and agent has highlighted that 'this small development will provide much-needed employment for local contractors and a freelance groom in what is a very challenging time for the self-employed and those with small businesses'. 4 PLANNING POLICIES The National Planning Policy framework (NPPF) is also a material planning consideration. 5 PLANNING ASSESSMENT 5.1 The amended application seeks planning permission for the erection of stables and a manege on a parcel of land associated with Greystones, Great Rollright. The application has been amended following comments from Officers to remove a proposed new access, re-site the arena and stables and to reduce the size of the proposed stables. 5.2 The application site is located on the eastern edge of the Village, Great Rollright. The site falls outside of the Great Rollright conservation area, with the Conservation Area boundary running along the west and south of the site. The application site is situated in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has a Public Footpath 329/1 which crosses the field to the north. The application site consists of the paddock to the east of Greystones, but the applicant also owns land including that where the main property sits and the remaining paddock areas to its immediate north and west. 5.3 This application is brought before members of the Uplands Sub Planning Committee because officer's recommendation differs from that of the Parish Council who has raised no objection to the proposed scheme. 5.4 In addition an extension of time was required to determine this application due to the cancellations of all committees in response to the COVID-19 virus. 5.5 Taking into account planning policy, other material considerations and the representations of interested parties your officers are of the opinion that the key considerations of the application are: Principle Siting, design and Scale, Impact on character and appearance of the landscape and AONB Highways Residential amenity Principle 5.6 Policy OS2 of the Local Plan states that development in the open countryside will be limited to that which requires and is appropriate for a rural location and which respects the intrinsic character of the area. It also sets out a number of General Principles for all development which includes, inter alia, that it should: Be of a proportionate and appropriate scale to its context having regard to the potential cumulative impact of development in the locality; Item No. 4, Page 5 of 53 Form a logical complement to the existing scale and pattern of development and/or the character of the area; As far as is reasonably possible protect or enhance the local landscape and the setting of the settlement/s; In the AONB, give great weight to conserving landscape and scenic beauty and comply with national policy concerning major development 5.7 In this case, given the site's location within the AONB, one of the main considerations is its impact on the landscape and scenic beauty of the area, which is considered in more detail below. 5.8 The Design and Access Statement advises that the client would like to graze up to 4 horses for her personal use. This statement appears to conflict with the applicant's case stated above which refers to the employment benefits of the scheme including the employment of a groom. There are also existing stabling facilities at Greystones and insufficient evidence has been submitted to justify the need for this large new building within this sensitive valued landscape. Therefore, the principle of development is considered to be unacceptable. Siting, Design and Form 5.9 The application seeks permission for the erection of 25m by 10.6m stable building which would sit approximately 4.5m tall (to the ridge). This stable building would accommodate 4 horse boxes, a storage room, a wash space, toilet, a feed and rug room and a tool shed. Whilst it is understood that the applicant is an avid horse rider, there were no horses within the field or on the site when undertaking a site visit. From recent correspondence, it is stated by the applicant that the horses are kept at 3 different locations but this statement conflicts with the supporting letter from the agent which states that 'The applicant has 4 horses, with 2 currently stabled on the site in temporary stables within the former garage serving the dwelling and 2 stabled off site.' 5.10 The application also seeks planning permission for a manege which would be 30m by 50m. Given the nature of the site, the proposed ménage would require some level of 'cut and fill' operations to allow for the manege to be level and safe for the training of the horses. The manege would be constructed out of suitable materials and no fencing is proposed. 5.11 In terms of submitted details, the scale, design and overall footprint of the proposed building are considered to be insupportable in its current form. In this regard, it is not considered that sufficient justification has been provided for the current proposal, which essentially seeks to add an overly large, new building within this open countryside, AONB location. 5.12 It is considered that the current proposal is still overly-large given its sensitive context and is of a design and form which relates poorly to the existing complex of buildings at Greystones. The site already benefits from a 17m building which has been converted into stables to provide accommodation for two of the horses.