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Venue: County Hall, New Road, Oxford

Contact: Graham Warrington  Tel: 07393 001211; E-Mail:  graham.warrington@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

20/19

Election of Chairman for the Council year

Minutes:

Nominations for election of Chairman were received for:

 

Councillor Jeannette Matelot – moved by Councillor Fox-Davies seconded by Councillor Sames

 

and

 

Councillor John Sanders – moved by Councillor Johnston seconded by Councillor Roberts

 

Councillor Jeannette Matelot having received 8 votes and Councillor Sanders 5 it was RESOLVED that Councillor Jeannette Matelot be elected Chairman for the Council year 2019 - 2020

21/19

Election of Deputy Chairman for the Council year

Minutes:

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Stratford, seconded by Councillor Handley and carried unanimously) that Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak be elected Deputy Chairman for the Council year 2019 - 2020

22/19

Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments

Minutes:

 

Apology for Absence

 

 

Temporary Appointment

 

Councillor George Reynolds

Councillor Richard Webber

 

 

Councillor Lawrie Stratford

Councillor Jenny Hannaby

 

 

 

23/19

Minutes pdf icon PDF 175 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2019 (PN5) and to receive information arising from them.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2019 were approved and signed.

24/19

Petitions and Public Address

Minutes:

 

 

Speakers

 

Item

 

 

·  Dr Anna Hoare (Local Resident)

·  Tom Allen-Stevens (Landowner)

·  Marc Girona-Mata (Hydrologist, GWP) & Derek Allan (Ecologist, Enzygo) (on behalf of the Applicant)

 

 

)

)

)8. Wicklesham Quarry – Application

) No MW.0038/19

)

)

 

 

 

 

25/19

Section 73 application to retrospectively vary conditions 1 of planning permission P17/V2812/CM (MW.0084/17) to reflect the restoration as carried out on the site. at Wicklesham Quarry - Application MW.0038/19 pdf icon PDF 189 KB

Report by the Director for Planning & Place (PN8).

 

This is a planning application to allow a further change to the restoration of the site. A retrospective change it takes into account the discrepancy between the approved plan and the way that restoration has taken place.

 

The report outlines relevant planning policies along with the comments and recommendations of the Director for Planning and Place.

 

The main issues for this development are local environment, amenity and landscape, and biodiversity.  As it is considered that the effects caused by the changes would not cause any significant harm officers are recommending approval.

 

It is RECOMMENDED that planning permission for application no. MW.0038/19 be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Director for Planning and Place but to include the following:

 

1)     The development shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the particulars of the development, plans and specifications contained in the application (and letters/e-mails of amendment) except as modified by conditions of this permission. The approved plans and particulars comprise:

 

·           Application form dated 11/03/2019

·           Letter dated 14/12/2018

·           Ecology Statement dated 29/08/2017

·           Enzygo Method Statement dated 31/05/2018

·           Hydrological statement - Ref No. JF051218 dated 11/03/19

·           Site Restoration Plan - Drawing no. DG/QO/WIC/RES/01 Rev E

·           Site Location Plan - Drawing No: DG/OO/WIC/TEMP/02.

·           Aftercare Scheme set out in paragraph 3.0 onwards in the approved Restoration and Aftercare Scheme dated December 2012.

·           Conservation of geological interest features of SSSI Plan – Dated October 2012 subject to revised restoration plan - DG/QO/WIC/RES/01 Rev E.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a planning application to allow a further retrospective change to the restoration of the Wicklesham Quarry site to address a discrepancy between the approved plan and the way that restoration had taken place.

 

Presenting the report Mr Broughton reported a late ‘no objection’ response from the Oxfordshire County Council Highway Authority. Responding to Councillor Roberts he confirmed that there were no gate accesses to the pond shown on either plan although he was unable to say if that was intentional as the landowner would, presumably, require access in the future for maintenance.   There was no general public access although visits to the geological SSSI could be arranged by appointment. 

 

Councillor Johnston added that the pond if it wasn’t maintained would disappear in time.

 

Dr Anna Hoare then took the Committee through her presentation. In her view policies set down to guide restoration of the site had not been complied with. No licence had been applied for from Natural England which was required to ensure retention of natural habitats and therefore what had happened on this site had gone entirely under the radar.  Pond 1 had now completely dried up with no water present since 2016. It had been ¼ metre deep and should have been retained and supported by surface water.  However, the gradient was blatantly wrong.  In 2011 prior to restoration water had been visible but from 2016 the situation had changed completely with no water present.  Regarding Pond 3 which had been the deepest of the water bodies on the site that was now a shallow ditch.  On 9 December 2016 a breach of conditions notice had been served 3 months after the completion for restoration deadline by which time the ponds had already been destroyed.  Breaches identified related to Condition 1 restoration not carried out in accordance with approved plans; Condition 3 not completed by due date of 30 September 2016; Condition 6 all site infrastructure not removed by due date of 30 September 2016; Condition 13 overburden, quarry waste and soil left on site after 30 September 2016 and Condition 20 to protect flora and fauna and no loss of biodiversity.  This had clearly not been done and continued to go on. Conditions had never been met with the landowner still resisting restoration. She urged the Committee to reject the application and ensure that the site was restored in accordance with the original plans.

 

She then responded to questions from:

 

Councillor Fox-Davies – the ponds were currently full of soil imported to the site and if that was removed then water would return and with it presumably the newt population.

 

Councillor Johnston – she considered that the damage to the ponds and site had been deliberate.

 

Councillor Hannaby – In 2015 quarrying had finished but there had been annual applications for storage of material which then meant long delays for restoration.  There had been a great deal of local objection to what was seen as a deliberate ploy to delay restoration of what  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25/19