Skip to main content

Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Woodgreen, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 1NB. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services 

Items
No. Item

71.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence from members of Sub-Committee.

The quorum for the Sub-Committee is 3 members.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

72.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest from members of the Sub-Committee on any items to be considered at the meeting.

Minutes:

Declarations of Interest were received as follows:

24/00432/FUL Land East of Fawler Road, Charlbury.

The Chair, Councillor Julian Cooper; Councillor Poskitt and Councillor Baggaley declared that they knew the speaker Gareth Epps.

 

73.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 55 KB

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting, held on Monday 16 December 2024.

Minutes:

Councillor Mark Walker proposed that the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 16 December 2024 were approved by the Sub-Committee. This was seconded by Councillor Elizabeth Poskitt.

The Sub-Committee Resolved to:

  1. Agree the minutes of the previous meeting held on Monday 16 December 2024.

 

74.

Applications for Development pdf icon PDF 234 KB

Purpose:

To consider applications for development, details of which are set out in the attached schedule.

 

Recommendation:

That the applications be determined in accordance with the recommendations of the Head of Planning.

 

Pages

Application No.

Address

Planning Officer

9-18

24/00432/FUL

Land East of Fawler Road, Charlbury

James Nelson

19-24

24/02397/FUL

The Bull Inn, Sheep Street, Charlbury

Rebekah Orriss

 

 

75.

24/00432/FUL Land East of Fawler Road, Charlbury pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Minutes:

James Nelson, the Principal Planner, presented the application for the upgrading and re-siting of the existing access into agricultural land and provision of trackway (amended plans and description).

Gareth Epps, spoke in objection to the application which raised the following points; the removal of the hedgerows, mud on the access road, safe access to the site, damage to the public right of way, track marks to Charlbury House.

The Principal Planner’s presentation addressed the following points:

  • The application was to upgrade and the re-siting of existing access point into the agricultural land and the provision of a track way.
  • The application was before the Sub-Committee due to objections from the Town Council on highway safety grounds.
  • The site was within the Cotswolds National Landscape, the Charlbury Conservation Area and Flood Zone 1.
  • The works on the site had been subject to an enforcement investigation, as hardstanding had been laid without planning consent and existing access widened and formalised. A condition had been included in the application for the hardstanding within the existing access be removed within 6 months of the date of the consent.
  • Amendments had been made to the application due to the proposed access not providing a suitable level of visibility when entering and exiting the site. The proposed new access was to the South and the amendment had been subject to re-consultation.
  • The proposed access to the site would be 3.5 metres wide and 25 metres from the existing opening. The amended access was to ensure appropriate visibility and the limited removal of hedgerows. The existing/widened access would be replanted with hedgerows, mitigating impacts on loss of ecology.
  • The application complied with the West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031, policies OS1, OS2, OS4, T2, EH1, EH3, EH9, EH10 and EH15, Charlbury Neighbourhood Plan 2031, Policies HE3, NE1 and NE5 and the NPPF 2024. The officer recommendation was approval of the application, subject to conditions.

The Chair then invited the Sub-Committee to discuss the application, which raised the following points:

  • Replanting of hedgerows would encourage the native hedgerows to link up and minimise the disruption to ecology and maximise the development of biodiversity. 
  • The application had taken guidance from Oxfordshire County Council Highways regarding the safety of access to and from the site by changing the location of the access. Re-consultation from the OCC Highways had resulted in no objections but the application being subject to conditions.
  • Limiting the access to agricultural use only would be difficult to enforce via a condition. If the use of the land changed this would be subject to control. 
  • Some Members suggested a site visit to consider the safety of the access, however the guidance from OOC highways was considered when debating the application.

Councillor Rosie Pearson proposed a site visit. This was seconded by the Chair.

Voting record-3 for the proposal, 7 against and 1 abstention. The vote was not carried.

Councillor Adam Clements proposed that the application be approved in line with the Officer recommendations. This was seconded by Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75.

76.

24/02397/FUL The Bull Inn, Sheep Street, Charlbury pdf icon PDF 176 KB

Minutes:

Rebekah Orriss, Planning Officer, presented the application for the erection of a garden structure forming a private event space (retrospective).

Councillor Kenrick, Charlbury Town Council, spoke in objection to the application and raised the following points: Parking provision and road safety and existing storage space taking up parking spaces.

Chris Tatton spoke in objection to the application and raised the following points: the history of applications and retrospective applications, traffic congestion caused by dangerous parking and inadequate parking within the town.

 

Phil Winser, Director of the Public House Group, spoke on behalf of the applicant and raised the following points: The structure was for events and was temporary, the business provided local people with jobs, the storage area had been enclosed and was not visible, the local cricket club had agreed to provide extra parking.

The Planning Officer’s presentation addressed the following points:

·         The application was for a garden structure with temporary permission for 3 years. The structure was located in the corner of the pub site and was walled off from the parking area.

·         The application was before the Sub-Committee as the Town Council had objected to it.

·         The Bull Inn public house was a Grade II listed building and is within the Charlbury Conservation Area and the Cotswolds National Landscape. There was also a holiday let used in associated with the pub.

·         The storage space was not being considered as part of the application and the events space was separate from this area.

·         There were no objections from Oxfordshire County Council Highways, Heritage Officers. There were no impacts on neighbouring amenities.

·         The application complied with polices OS2, OS4, E5, EH10, EH11, EH1, and T4 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031, the Charlbury Neighbourhood Plan and the relevant paragraphs of the NPPF and the West Oxfordshire Design Guide 2016 and was recommended for approval.

The Chair then invited the Sub-Committee to discuss the application, which raised the following points:

  • Members asked for clarification on the use of the cricket club’s parking. The applicant confirmed that at busy times the patrons of the pub parked at the cricket club to alleviate limited parking near the pub. In return the pub sponsored the cricket club’s youth team.
  • The storage area had been fenced off as there was an increase in the laundry bins due to the increase in the business. This area was not being considered as part of the application before the Sub-Committee.
  • The events structure was not visible from the road, was temporary and would be removed after 3 years. Members considered what impact the use of events structure alone would have on parking.

Councillor Geoff Saul proposed that the application be approved in line with the Officer recommendations with an additional condition stating that notwithstanding the approved plans, consent is granted solely for the temporary structure shown within the ‘scope of the works’ on plan 1203 PL04. This was seconded by Councillor Elizabeth Poskitt was put to the vote. The final wording of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

77.

Applications Determined under Delegated Powers pdf icon PDF 175 KB

Purpose:

To inform the Sub-Committee of applications determined under delegated powers.

 

Recommendation:

1.    That the report be noted by the Sub-Committee.

Minutes:

The report giving details of the applications determined under delegated powers was received, explained by planning officers and noted by the Sub-Committee.

 

78.

Appeals

There are no appeal decisions since the previous Uplands Planning Sub-Committee.

Minutes:

There were no appeal decisions since the previous Uplands Area Planning Sub-Committee.