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ITEM PN3

PLANNING & REGULATION COMMITTEE -
24 FEBRUARY 2003

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 3.40 pm

Present:

The Committee considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with a schedule of addenda tabled at the meeting and decided as set out below. Except insofar as otherwise specified, the reasons for the decisions are contained in the agenda, reports and schedule, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

7/03. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS

Apologies for absence and temporary appointments were received as follows:

Apology from	Temporary Appointments
Councillor Julian Cooper	Councillor Moley
Councillor Mrs Hastings	Councillor Jelf
Councillor MacKenzie	Councillor McIntosh-Stedman
Councillor Power	-
Councillor Turner	Councillor Patrick

8/03. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Mrs Fulljames declared a personal interest in Items 8 (Inert Waste Recycling Facility, Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry) and 9 (Importation of Inert Waste for Construction of Stabilisation Berm and Access Ramp, Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry) insofar as she was a member of the Cherwell District Council Southern Area Planning Committee. She advised that she had not previously considered these matters in that capacity and declared her intention to take part in the debate and any vote thereon.

9/03. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 13 January 2003 were approved and signed.

Minute 2/03 (Minutes 58/02, 62/02 and 68/02 – St Aloysius RC First School)

In response to Councillor Mold Mr Griffin advised that the Victorian Group were still seeking restoration of the building. The architect had obtained a quotation of £30,000 for its restoration. However, the School did not want to keep the building and were considering auctioning it off.

Councillor Mold then asked how the building could be demolished since this Committee had wanted to keep it. Mr Griffin advised that the condition attached to the permission as agreed by the Committee had been that the building should not be demolished as part of the school extensions. Councillor Ludlow then asked how the building could be demolished and auctioned off without permission being obtained to demolish it. Mr Griffin reiterated the above condition and added that once the development had been completed the building could then be demolished without any other consents.

Minute 4/03 (Goulds Grove, Ewelme)

Mr Duncalfe advised that the First Sectary of State had issued an Article 14 directive on these applications which prevented the County Council from issuing a planning permission unless allowed to do so.

10/03. PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS

The Chair reported that the following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:-

Request from	Agenda Item
Mrs Sue Kent Shipton on Cherwell with Thrupp Parish Council	8 - Installation of Inert Waste Recycling Facility for Secondary Aggregates at the Former Cement Works and Quarry, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Near Kidlington, Oxfordshire (Application No: 02/02330/CM)
Mr R. Gillespie (RPS Consultants) for the applicant

11/03. SPEEDING UP THE PROCESSING OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS

(Agenda Item 5)

The Committee considered a report (PN5) which set out measures designed to improve performance in order to meet the Government’s main Best Value Performance Indicator for the planning service which related to the speed at which planning applications were processed.

Councillor Bryden supported the general tenor of the report but drew particular attention to an area of concern in paragraph 8(vii) of the report regarding the problems caused by late submissions. He felt that if applicants submitted a substantial late submission which materially affected the application they should be required to resubmit the application. This would also impact on the need for pre-application meetings (paragraph 8(v)) and the importance of deadlines in producing reports (paragraph 8(ii)). He also felt that the Government’s target relating to delegated decisions was unrealistic particularly having regard to the type of application that the Committee considered.

Some members expressed concern at the apparent loss of public accountability and the opportunity to put forward the views of local people.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Sibley, duly seconded and carried by 10 votes to 2, Councillor Mrs Ludlow and Mold voting against the motion, and Councillor Dawes and Councillor Reynolds having abstained):

1. to authorise the Director of Environment & Economy (or Acting or Interim Director if applicable) in consultation with the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Spokesperson for the third political group and relevant local member to refuse applications for planning permission:

1. which were, in his/her opinion, clearly contrary to the development plan; or
2. for which there was such a significant lack of information that, in his/her opinion, the application could not be approved;
2. to note and support the other measures set out in the report PN5to speed up processing of planning applications; and
3. that officers be asked to circulate to all County Councillors a rolling programme of planning applications received.
   
   12/03. COUNTY COUNCIL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

(Agenda Item 6)

The Committee considered the following current applications for County Council development, made under Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992, as detailed in the Schedules appended to the report:-

Application No: O.31/02 (detailed). Erection of a single classroom prefabricated building for a temporary period of five years, Pegasus First School, Field Avenue, Oxford.

Application No: S.24/02 (renewal). Renewal of consent for one double prefabricated classroom Ref: E011 for a temporary period of five years, Aston Rowant C of E School, School Lane, Aston Rowant.

Application No: V21/02 (detailed). Proposed Sure Start and Family Centre at Caldecott and Kingfisher Schools, additional car parking and landscaping (which superseded application No. V.18/02, which had been withdrawn), Kingfisher and Caldecott Schools, Caldecott Road, Abingdon.

Application No: W.27/02 (detailed). Construction of new five classroom building, Marlborough School, Woodstock, Oxon.

RESOLVED:

1. (on a motion by Councillor Mrs Ludlow, seconded by Councillor Reynolds, amended with their consent at the suggestion of Councillor Bryden and carried by 13 votes to 1, Councillor Mold voting against the motion) that:

(i) application S24/02 (Aston Rowant C of E School) be approved as set out in the schedules to PN6;

(ii) the Director for Learning & Culture be advised that the Planning & Regulation Committee would not approve any further applications for renewal of this permission in view of its location within the Aston Rowant Conservation Area;

2. (on a motion by Councillor Patrick, seconded by Councillor Mrs Fulljames and carried nem con) that application V21/02 be approved as set out in the schedule to PN6 subject to the additional following informative:

"The applicant be asked to investigate the provision of building foundations sufficient to facilitate a two storey building if required to meet future need";

3. (on a motion by Councillor Wyatt, seconded by Councillor Dawes and amended with their consent at the suggestion of Councillor Reynolds and carried nem con) that application W27/02 (Marlborough School, Woodstock) be approved subject to the applicant submitting for approval an amended plan to remove the provision for 10 additional car parking spaces;
4. that application O.31/02 (Pegasus First School) be approved as set out in the schedules to the main report PN6;

subject in all cases to the detailed wording of the recommended consultations being agreed by the Assistant Director of Environmental Services (Land Use).

13/03. APPLICATION FOR INTEGRATED WORKING AND RESTORATION SCHEME FOR LIMESTONE EXTRACTION FOR AGGREGATE PRODUCTION AND RECONSTITUTED STONE PRODUCTS AT BURFORD QUARRY (FORMERLY BECKSTONES) (APPLICATION NO. W2001/1592).

(Agenda Item 7)

The Committee considered an identical application (EX7) to the one that the Committee had refused on 29 July 2002. An appeal lodged against that decision had been due to be heard at a Public Local Inquiry in May 2003 but that had now been put back to September/October 2003. As all the issues would be put before an Independent Inspector at the Inquiry the committee agreed that there was no merit in determining this application now in advance of an Inquiry and -

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Reynolds, seconded by Councillor Mrs Ludlow and carried nem con) that consideration of application W2001/1726 be deferred until the Appeal against Application No. W2001/1592 had been determined.

14/03. INSTALLATION OF INERT WASTE RECYCLING FACILITY FOR SECONDARY AGGREGATES AT THE FORMER CEMENT WORKS AND QUARRY, SHIPTON-ON-CHERWELL, NEAR KIDLINGTON, OXFORDSHIRE (APPLICATION NO. 02/02330/CM)

(Agenda Item 8)

The Committee considered a report (PN8) which described an application to provide an inert waste recycling facility in the former Shipton-on-Cherwell cement works which lay within the Oxford Green Belt. A similar proposal to the one now submitted had been refused by the Committee in January last year and was currently the subject of an appeal.

Mrs Sue Kent (Shipton-on-Cherwell with Thrupp Parish Council) reiterated local concerns regarding the need to protect the Green Belt and also the Parish Council’s concerns as set out in the officers’ report PN8.

Mr Robert Gillespie (RPS Consultants) stressed that the applicants had on taking over ownership of the site increased levels of safety and security which indicated a sense of responsibility for the site. The site was on the edge of the Green Belt but had little visual impact and was recognised in the emerging local plan as a major development site in the Green Belt. The permission was short term and all plant would be removed when works had been completed. It was not intended to import waste material specifically for this facility but that the operation was seen as a natural link to the planned stabilisation work.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Mrs Fulljames, seconded by Councillor Dawes and carried nem con) that planning permission be refused for the installation of an inert waste recycling facility at Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry (Application No. 02/02330/CM) for the following reasons:

"(a) there are no very special circumstances to warrant a departure from normal Green Belt policy and as such the proposal is contrary to Policies G4 of the Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2011 and Policy GB1 of the Cherwell Local Plan and Policy W3 of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan; and

(b) the proposal is contrary to Policy W4 of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan as (1) no overriding need has been identified for the proposal and (2) the site is not one where permission would normally be permitted as it is part of a site where a land stabilisation operation takes place and not part of a mineral extraction or landfill site."

15/03. IMPORTATION OF INERT WASTE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF STABILISATION BERM AND ACCESS RAMP, AT THE FORMER CEMENT WORKS AND QUARRY, SHIPTON-ON- CHERWELL, NEAR KIDLINGTON, OXFORDSHIRE (APPLICATION NO. 02/02602/CM)

(Agenda Item 9)

The Committee considered a report (PN9) which outlined a proposal to continue with the stabilisation works at Shipton-on-Cherwell Quarry which had commenced in the mid-1990’s and described the continuing need for the work to prevent a face collapse which could endanger the A4095.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Mrs Fulljames, seconded by Councillor Dawes and carried nem con) that planning permission be granted for the development proposed in Application No. 02/02602/CM subject to conditions to include:

1. Detailed compliance.
2. Temporary permission – 3 years only or when the berm is completed whichever was the sooner.
3. Hours of operation to be:

07.00-18.00 hours Mondays-Fridays and

07.00-13.00 hours on Saturdays.

No Sunday or Bank Holiday working.

4. Only inert waste to be deposited.
5. No solid matter to be deposited so that it passed or was likely to pass into any watercourse.
6. Any oil storage tanks to be suitably bunded.
7. On completion of waste importation, haul road and any buildings/structures to be removed prior to restoration.
8. Landscaping/restoration scheme to be agreed.
9. Implement landscaping.
10. No vehicle to leave site unless wheels cleaned to prevent mud being carried onto public highway with periodical monitoring of the highway to be undertaken in the area of the site access to prevent the deposit of mud on the road.
11. Wheel wash to be installed within one month of permission.
12. Access ramp to be surfaced to agreed standard within one month of permission.
13. Access road between access ramp and public highway to be surfaced and thereafter maintained in sound state of repair.
14. Limit on waste importation to be maximum of 270,000 m³.
15. Records of waste importation to be available for inspection.
16. Before and during construction of berm, access to be made available for detailed geological monitoring and recording of quarry face.
17. Geological monitoring and recording to take place at regular intervals.
18. Qualified, competent geologist, to English Nature’s requirements, to undertake monitoring and recording.
19. Results of geological monitoring and recording to be published in a suitable journal within the public domain.
20. Tree/shrub protection whilst operations underway.
21. Geotechnical survey to be undertaken, in conjunction with English Nature, or remaining quarry faces to assess stability and any possible remedial action required. Survey to be undertaken and results submitted within 6 months of permission being given.
22. Dust suppression measures to be agreed.
23. Local Liaison Committee to be set up to meet on a regular basis.
24. No lighting except in accordance with scheme to be approved.
25. The existing access into the quarry at the south west corner to be closed and the gap filled with boundary hedging to match the existing.
26. Final details of the restored landform to phase 2 to be agreed before work starts on phase 3.
27. Material placed against a length of quarryface in phase2 to be removed before work starts on phase 3.
    
    

16/03. HORNTON GROUNDS QUARRY, HORNTON

1. the extension of the saw shed and importation of block stone for cutting and finishing, and relocation of existing processing building, (Ref: 02/02488/CM); and
2. continuation of permission 1899/9/3 without complying with condition 79 to allow the temporary retention of the existing saw shed and ancillary facilities (Ref: 02/02485/CM);

1. end date of 2013;
2. removal of all plant and buildings and restoration by 2014;
3. complete compliance with plans and particulars;
4. standard working hours;
5. noise limits and controls;
6. restoration and aftercare of the site;
7. construction of a surface water drainage system to be approved by the LPA before application for the extension was implemented;
8. volume of stone to be processed not to exceed 2000 tonnes per annum;
9. no mud to be taken onto the road;

c. all other existing conditions on Permission 1899/9/3 to remain in force.

in the Chair

Date of signing 2003

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