Agenda, decisions and minutes

RESOLVED: that Councillor Mrs Catherine Fulljames be elected Chairman for the Council year 2015/16

RESOLVED: that Councillor Neil Owen be elected Deputy Chairman for the Council year 2015/16

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2015 (PN3) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2015 were approved & signed

Minute 24/15 – Minute 21/15 – Review of detailed scheme – Ardley EfW site

Mr Periam advised that a response had been received from Viridor immediately preceding the meeting.  However, he had been unable to fully evaluate the response but would do so as soon as possible and circulate to members with his comments.

Minute 26/15 – Chairman’s Updates – Radley ROMP Prohibition Appeal

Mr Broughton advised that negotiations were continuing with the applicants in order to agree a final figure and responding to Councillor Bartholomew confirmed that processes had been reviewed to help prevent similar occurrences.

Radley ROMP Prohibition Appeal

Mr Broughton advised that in the light of the Inspector’s decision it had been decided to review a different area. He would report to the next meeting on the detail.

This is an application for a new haul road to access Woodeaton Quarry and is required to allow the approved development of the restoration of the quarry using inert waste to go ahead (MW.0015/12) as negotiations over the use of the access route originally proposed have not been successful.

The proposed development is in the Oxford Green Belt and within an area designated as Scheduled Ancient Monument. However, it is not considered to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt and the method of construction would ensure that there was no below ground disturbance, to protect archaeological remains.

There has been seven letters of objection to the application, which consider that the proposed new road is not necessary as the existing farm track route could be used. However, it is the case that it has not been possible to complete the necessary legal agreements since the quarry restoration was resolved to be approved in 2012 and therefore it has not been possible to issue planning permission for the quarry restoration. The applicant has therefore sought an alternative route to the site. The report considers that route in relation to planning policy and concludes that the development is acceptable in terms of policy relating to Green Belt, mineral site restoration, amenity, highways, archaeology, biodiversity and geodiversity. 

It is RECOMMENDED that

(a)         Application No. MW.0149/14 be approved subject to conditions as set out below:

1.         Complete accordance with plans

2.         Commencement within 3 years

3.         Use for traffic to Woodeaton Quarry in association with the development permitted by MW.0015/12 only, and only if the original access permitted under MW.0015/12 is not used

4.         Restoration following cessation of use

5.         No deposit of mud on the highway

6.         Operating hours (0730-1800 Mondays to Fridays, 0830-1300 Saturdays)

7.         Visibility splays – as per submitted plan and kept clear from obstruction

8.         Archaeological watching brief

9.         Development to be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the Ecology Report

10.      Updated ecological surveys to be provided if the development is not commenced within one year of the date of consent

Informatives – Protected Species, bird nesting;

(b)         the Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) be authorised to approve any amendments to application MW.0015/12 to allow the use of the alternative access road which is the subject of application MW.0149/14;

(c)         references to the ‘northern quarry access’ in the resolution on application MW.0015/12 are amended to ‘northern access shown on MW.0015/12 plans or alternative access shown on MW.0149/14.’

The Committee considered (PN8) an application for a new haul road to access Woodeaton Quarry required to allow the approved development of the restoration of the quarry to go ahead. Negotiations over the use of the originally proposed access route had not been successful.

Introducing the report Mr Periam referred to the addenda sheet which highlighted representations from the local member Councillor Tim Hallchurch and a number of corrections to the report, including a revised plan showing the correct location where the proposed haul road accessed the B4027. That plan had previously been circulated to members of the Committee and displayed at the meeting.  The Committee noted the corrections and information in the addenda sheet.

Mr Periam then responded to questions from:

Councillor Bartholomew – although contractual negotiations between other parties were not a matter for this Committee the application should be deliverable as he understood agreement had been reached between the parties subject to planning permission being granted.

Councillor Mills – a condition would be imposed which would require that no mud be deposited on the highway and that would be achieved by providing some form of wheelwash facility.  Hugh Coddington then explained that there would be an archaeological presence during the period of groundworks and any invasive works and any data recorded and published.

Councillor Sanders – he confirmed the road would be classed as temporary with a defined use and then restoration to meadow and woodland.

Peter Hore stated that the application would probably have been less objectionable if there had not already been a perfectly adequate route to the Quarry from the B4027. He accepted that the new haul road might be consistent with planning policy with few but it was fundamentally wrong to spoil the countryside, even temporarily, simply because agreement could not be reached between two third parties. The application required destruction of a substantial quantity of vegetation along the B4027 with two paved access points within 200 metres of one another on a busy road, one of which would be far wider than necessary when no longer needed for 20 tonne lorries. Heavy goods vehicles using the new road would be visible from some distance, a significant factor which he felt had not been adequately covered in the report before the Committee. Although not strictly relevant to today’s decision Woodeaton Parish Council did not want the quarry restored with at least 10 years of disruption nor did they want quarrying to resume and it had been for those reasons that the application had been opposed in 2012. Then, as now, the strongly held view was that the quarry should be left substantially as it is.

Brian Henman advised that at all times he had been willing to negotiate terms for the use of the existing haul road by the applicant and whilst there had been problems negotiating terms with the previous owner for the use of the road until 2042 he stressed that at all times, and despite suggestions to the contrary, he  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35/15

Report by the County Solicitor & Head of Law & Culture (Legal Services) (PN9)

An application was made by Mr Peter Hardman on behalf of the Sibford Gower Parish Council for registration of land at The Pond, Main Street, Sibford Gower in Oxfordshire as a new town or village green under the Commons Act 2006. No objection to such registration was received. The Council is the Commons Registration Authority and the Planning & Regulation Committee has delegated authority to determine such applications.

The Committee is therefore RECOMMENDED to REJECT the application for registration as a new Town or Village Green that plot of land known as The Pond, Main Street, Sibford Gower, Oxfordshire that site being identified edged red on the map appended to the report.

The Committee considered (PN9) an application made by Mr Peter Hardman on behalf of the Sibford Gower Parish Council for registration of land at The Pond, Main Street, Sibford Gower in Oxfordshire as a new town or village green under the Commons Act 2006. No objection to the registration had been received.

However, despite being duly made during further consideration of the application there was concern that the application did not meet all of the parts of the legal test for registration as set out in section 15(2) of the Commons Act 2006. 

Councillor Reynolds speaking as local member advised that the applicants did not agree with the conclusion drawn but would accept it and he duly moved with Councillor Owen seconding that the officer recommendation be agreed.

The motion was put to the Committee and -

RESOLVED: (unanimously) that the application for registration as a new Town or Village Green that plot of land known as The Pond, Main Street, Sibford Gower, Oxfordshire and identified edged red on the map appended to the report be rejected..