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To Members of the Planning & Regulation Committee

Notice of Meeting

Derek Bishop
Head of Democratic Services

July 2006

Membership

Chairman – Councillor Steve Hayward

Deputy Chairman – Councillor Tony Crabbe

Councillors:

1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments
   
   (See Addenda)
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note
   
   
3. Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2006 (PN3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

4. Petitions and Public Address
   
   (See Addenda)
   
   
5. County Council Planning Applications
   
   (See also Addenda)
   

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (PN5) (download as .pdf file).

The following five applications for County Council development made under Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992 are detailed in the schedule appended to the report:-

Application No: W.13/06. Erection of new foundation stage building to provide two classrooms, toilets, kitchen, staff room and storage facilities at Great Tew CP School, The Green, Great Tew, Oxon, OX7 4DB.

Application No: V.05/06. Erection of an extension to provide a new hall, foundation stage classroom and associated storage/toilet and kitchen facilities, plus internal alterations to improve existing teaching and resource areas and realignment of existing netball pitch at Ridgeway CE Primary School, West Street, Childrey, Wantage.

Application No: W.14/06. Erection of extension to provide new hall, kitchen and storage facilities, including the demolition of stone outbuildings and parts of the dry stone wall at Bladon CE School, Park Street, Bladon, Oxon. OX20 1RW.

Application No: S.05/06. Construction of a school hall to be used for educational purposes at Marsh Baldon CE Primary School, The Green, Marsh Baldon.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED that subject to consideration of any further representations received by the date of the meeting, the applications set out above be determined as recommended in the schedule appended to the report, subject to the detailed wording of the recommended conditions being determined by the Director for Environment & Economy.

6. Application for a New Bunded Ash Lagoon in Existing ‘Lake E’ Gravel Pit Including: Construction of New Ash Lagoon, Including Working Clay from the Bottom of the Existing Lake to Form an Impermeable Lining to the Sides of New Lagoon, Filling the New Lagoon with Pulverised Fuel Ash, Restoration to Nature Conservation, Deposit of Silt and Slurry from Lake E to Lake G and Pipe and Drainage Works

It is RECOMMENDED that subject to:

1. a legal agreement, or other suitable legal mechanism, to be agreed by the Solicitor to the Council to ensure that areas K, L and M are not used for the disposal of pfa and to secure long term management of the site; and
2. notifying the Secretary of State that the proposal represents a departure from the development plan;

7. Application for Open Storage and Screening of Top Soils from Other Wastes (in relation to the client’s own site clearance works) and Associated Access Roads and Storage/Vehicle Parking Area at Greensands, Reading Road, East Hendred.

Application No. EHE/1965/14-CM

Report by the Head of Sustainable Development (PN7).

This is a retrospective application seeking permission for the change of use of land to be used for open storage and screening of soil. It also includes the associated development of a hardstanding for the soil to be stored, construction of an access road and a hardstanding for parking and storage of vehicles. The activities are currently occurring on the site. All transportation is by road with a maximum of 48 lorry movements per day.

The main policy issues are development in the countryside, traffic and waste management. This application is supported by waste management policy because it involves the recycling of waste that might otherwise be sent to landfill. However, this is not seen as a suitable location for these activities to take place. It is located in the open countryside without an overriding need and is on previously undeveloped grade 2 agricultural land. The access is inadequate with poor visibility and it does not have good connections to the local highway network. Therefore, this application is in conflict with policy relating to traffic and development in the countryside.

It is RECOMMENDED that planning permission for application EHE/1965/14-CM be refused for the following reasons:

(1) The proposed development is contrary to Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan policy W4 in that it is proposed to be located in the open countryside without there being an overriding need and that there are other suitable sites already available.

(2) The proposed development is contrary to Oxfordshire Structure Plan policy T8 and Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local plan policy W3 in that it does not have adequate access and is not well related to appropriate parts of the transport network. It will intensify the use of a substandard access and adjacent highway and be detrimental to the safety and free flow of users of the public highway.

(3) The proposed development is contrary to Vale of White Horse Local Plan 1997 policy C9 in that it is located on previously undeveloped grade 2 agricultural land which should be protected from development.

(4) The proposed development is contrary to policy E13 of Vale of White Horse adopted local plan and E9 of Vale of White Horse 2004 second deposit draft local plan in that the site is not allocated for such development and does not satisfy the criteria justifying such development on unallocated sites.

(5) The proposed development is contrary to OSP policies G5 and EN1 in that it is harmful development in the countryside which does not protect, maintain or enhance Oxfordshire’s landscape character.

8. Progress Report on Minerals and Waste Site Monitoring and Enforcement

Report by the Head of Sustainable Development (PN8)