Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 October 2009 and 12 November (to follow) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 October 2009 were approved and signed subject to the following amendments:

·                    Inclusion of David Groves (Environment & Economy) in the list of officers attending.

·                    Minute 54/09, Item 6, column 3 – delete the words “Local member” against Councillor Don Seale.

With regard to Minute 58/09 (Extension of Temporary Consent for Continued Use of Site as a Waste Recycling Centre until 30 September 2014 at Dean Pit Waste Recycling Centre, Grove Lane, Chadlington, Oxfordshire OX7 3JY – Application R3.0125/09)  the Committee noted representations received from Lord Chadlington who had addressed the Committee on this item and who considered that the minute as drafted did not reflect the need for officers to report back to the Planning & Regulation Committee on progress on the relocation of the site. The Committee accepted that the informative as set out in the resolution to Minute 58/09 reflected what had been agreed at the meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 November were approved and signed without amendment.

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (PN5)

This report considers an application to extract 1.1 million tonnes (mt) of soft sand from land off Pinewoods Road, Longworth. The restoration of the site is proposed to be to agriculture at a low level. The application site covers an area of approximately 28.6 hectares. The application site is currently in use as intensive arable agricultural land. The anticipated duration of extraction is 9 years and restoration is proposed to be fully completed within 12 months of extraction being completed.

The main issues are whether there is a need for sand extraction and the extent of that need, whether the impacts on local people and business would be acceptable, whether the transport impacts can be dealt with satisfactorily, and the impact of the proposal on local landscape and biodiversity. There have been objections at the first consultation from Longworth Parish Council, Hinton Waldrist Parish Council, Environment Agency, Food Standard Agency, OCC Transport DC team and a number of local residents although the Environment Agency and OCC Transport DC team removed their objections following the latest consultation after receiving revised schemes from the applicant. There is no pressing need for additional reserves in the short term in Oxfordshire. Although transport impacts from this development can be dealt with satisfactorily through conditions and agreements, the risk of windblown sand onto the market garden and the consequent impact that this could have on that business is a very serious concern.  

It is RECOMMENDED that, planning permission for Application 07/02098/CM is refused for the following reasons:

(a)                     The development proposed is not within an area identified for mineral working as referred to in policy PE2 of the Oxfordshire Mineral & Waste Local Plan. In addition the apportionment for soft sand identified for Oxfordshire in the South East Plan can be met from the existing permitted and resolved to be permitted sites.

(b)                    Policies PE3 of the Oxfordshire Mineral and Waste Local Plan requires that appropriate buffer zone should be established around the mineral extraction sites to protect nearby sensitive features from the damaging effects of mineral working. This development is proposed to be located immediately alongside a market garden. The Council, as a Local Planning Authority considers that the measures proposed to minimise the impact on the market garden are not sufficiently robust to ensure that the produce of the market garden is not contaminated. As a result it is considered that the proposal is not consistent with the aims of the policy PE3 of OMWLP.

The Council, as a Local Planning Authority, thereby is not persuaded that the need for this development in this locality is sufficient to warrant a departure from policy PE2.

The Chairman informed the Committee and members of the public in attendance that the applicants had withdrawn Application LWO/20319-CM at 12.45 that afternoon.

Members expressed regret that the late withdrawal of the application had meant that it had not been possible to notify members of the public who had made arrangements to attend the meeting.

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (PN6)

This application flows from development permitted by Planning & Regulation Committee in January 2008 to allow comprehensive redevelopment of the site at Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry. The application seeks to allow the temporary use of an existing haul road at Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry. The use of this haul road is currently precluded by an existing condition attached to an existing planning permission. The applicant wishes to use this haul road on a temporary basis since Little Ringed Plovers (Schedule 1 protect species) have delayed construction of a new haul road. The applicant has proposed reduced working hours to alleviate the impact of the existing haul road on the residents of Shipton-on-Cherwell village which is in close proximity to this haul road.

There would be no increase in the existing permitted vehicle movements to and from the site of 318 per day. The use of the existing haul road would cease when either the new haul road is completed, the Little Ringed Plovers are no longer present, or after the period of 12 months from the date of any permission given, whichever is the sooner.

The main issues are development in the Green Belt, ecological impacts and impacts on residential amenity. The development is not considered to be major development that would harm the openness of the Green Belt and is therefore consistent with Green Belt policies. The development would prevent harm to Schedule 1 protected species. This proposal is likely to have an impact on residential amenity due to the close proximity of Shipton on Cherwell village. However, the proposal includes reduced working hours and no working at weekends and is temporary in nature. No objections have been received at the time of writing this report.

It is RECOMMENDED that planning permission for the development outlined in Application  09/01180/CM be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development but to include those matters set out in Annex 1 to this report.

In January 2008 the Planning & Regulation Committee had permitted comprehensive redevelopment of the site at Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry which had included construction of a new haul road.  However, construction of the new haul road had been delayed due to the close proximity of a schedule 1 protected species nesting site.  The Committee were now being asked (PN6) to allow temporary use of an existing haul road, currently precluded by condition attached to an existing planning permission, pending construction of the new haul road.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Mrs Fulljames, seconded by Councillor Tanner and carried unanimously) that planning permission for the development outlined in Application  09/01180/CM be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development but to include those matters set out in Annex 1 to the report (PN6).