09 August 2016 – Minutes

 

Minutes of a Meeting of the Planning & Environment Committee held on 9 August 2016 at 6.30pm In the Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall.

 

 Present: Cllrs B Austin, D Bretherton, P Cowell, M Deacock, D Dodds, L Emery (Town Mayor), H Fickling (Chairman), C Jones, A Midwinter (Deputy Chairman) and
M Stiles
Officers
G Hunt, Town Clerk
A Oughton, Committee Services Officer

 

 

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Dixon (Holiday).

 

 

The Town Clerk reminded Members of the general dispensation in place which allowed Council to discuss planning application P16/S2182/FUL related to land directly owned by the Town Council.

 

Cllr Stiles entered the meeting during this item.

 

 

Angus & Aila Purdie spoke against planning application P16/S1470/FUL, Land at Elm Tree Farm, Moreton.  Mr Purdie had been aware of a possible planning application on the site for over a year and it had been muted that affordable dwellings would be built.

 

The biggest concern was the power cables that ran at back of his property and the overhead transformer which fed the village network and the underground cable to the maintenance area of the golf club.  The planning application now showed the power cables being routed underground but where will the cables route to and from the transformer and where will the transformer be located?  Mr Purdie believed that the transformer posed a risk to health through the emission of electromagnetic radiation and stated that the current overhead transformer had caught fire two years ago.

 

Mr Rawlings and Mr Kerry from Rectory Homes spoke for planning application P16/S1470/FUL.  A meeting had taken place with SODC who had similar concerns to the Town Council with regard to the scale and bulk but that the principle of development had been accepted.

 

The ridge heights to both dwellings had been reduced and were more in keeping with the area.  The eaves to plot 1 had been reduced together with the front window feature.  The two triple car ports had been reduced to double car ports.  Two new illustrative drawings had been submitted as part of the amended plans to give greater context to how the dwellings will sit within the site.  From calculating the plot coverage of both dwellings and comparing them to existing dwellings to the South West, North East and South East of the site it is evident the plot coverage sits well into the surroundings.

 

The hedgerow to the front of the site will be retained except for the two access points to the new dwellings and the screening enhanced.  A similar proposal to construct a dwelling between Elm Farmhouse and Four Seasons had recently received planning approval.  Rectory Homes focused on high quality dwellings and felt this proposal would not look out of place.  The District Planning Officer had indicated that the revised plans now allayed any previous concerns and it was hoped the revisions would also allay the concerns raised by the Town Council.

 

A question was raised with regard to the proposed cabling and location of the new transformer.  Rectory stated the cables would be routed underground and that the transformer would be located in the South East corner of plot 2 and would have some sort of physical screen.  Rectory were still in discussion with UK Power and were happy to talk with Mr Purdie to try and resolve any issues.

 

 

The Minutes of the meeting held on 19 July 2016 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

 

 9655
P16/S1470/FUL LAND AT ELM TREE FARM, MORETON
Amendment No. 1
Erection of two 5-bedroom dwellings and two-bay carports and formation of two individual accesses (reduction in width and eaves height of Plot 1, lowering of ridge height of both dwellings, reduction in size of both carports, carport to Plot 1 moved away from Harvest Barn boundary and retention of front boundary hedging either side of accesses as shown on amended plans received 18 July 2016).
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Poor Design – ESDQ26
2. Not in keeping with the character of the area – ESDQ18
3. Scale & Bulk – ESDQ20

 

Comment: Should the District be minded to approve the application the Town Council recommend that a condition be added that the transformer is housed in relevant protection such as a Faraday Cage.

 

The Core Strategy classifies Moreton as an ‘other village’.  Under Policy CSR1, residential development on infill sites of up to 0.1 hectares in size is acceptable in principle in ‘other villages’.  Infill development is defined as the filling of a small gap in an otherwise built up frontage, or on other sites within settlements where the site is closely surrounded by buildings.  The application site comprises approximately 0.4 ha of land

 

 9662
P16/S2000/A THE OLD DAIRY, 13A UPPER HIGH STREET
Amendment No. 1
New signage (Amended application form to show removal of ‘LED’ lighting, dated 1 August 2016).
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Use of inappropriate materials
2. Does not conform to Conservation Area Policy

 9669
P16/S2163/FUL 14 BUTTERMARKET
Amendment No. 1
Change of use of ground and first floor from A1 / B1 (a) to mixed A1 / A3 use (as amplified by additional plans and covering letter received 13 July 2016).
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Subject to no objection from the District Conservation Officer

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: WS2, WS7, WS10, ESDQ15, ESDQ16, ESDQ20
SODC Local Plan Policies: CON7, CON8, EP2, D1, D10, H13, TC8, AD1
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ3, CSEM1, CSEM4, CST1, CSEN3

 

 9683
P16/S2434/LB CORNER CLOSE, 9 BELL LANE
Proposed two new windows.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Subject to no objection from the District Conservation Officer
Neighbourhood Plan Policies: ESDQ15, ESDQ16, ESDQ20
SODC Local Plan Policies: CON3, CON5, CON7, D1, D4
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ3, CSEN3

 

 9685
P16/S2435/HH 25 CAVALIER ROAD
Construct front porch and rear extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: ESDQ16, ESDQ19, ESDQ28, ESDQ29
SODC Local Plan Policies: D1, D2, D4, H13, T2
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ3

 

 9686
P16/S2182/FUL 20 PICKENFIELD
Change of use of public open space to private garden.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: ESDQ16, ESDQ28
SODC Local Plan Policies: D1, D4
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ3

 

 9687
P16/S2414/LB 94 HIGH STREET
Small fascia and window signage.  Replace the left hand cast iron down pipe with a like for like pipe.  Painting parts of the exterior fascia grey (retrospective).
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. The use of acrylic cut lettering mounted on the external fascia does not adhere to Conservation Area Policy.

 

Comment:  Members were agreed that the replacement of the downpipe and painting parts of the exterior fascia grey was acceptable.

 

 9688
P16/S2401/A 94 HIGH STREET
Small fascia and window signage.  Replace the left hand cast iron down pipe with a like for like pipe.  Painting parts of the exterior fascia grey (retrospective).
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. The use of acrylic cut lettering mounted on the external fascia does not adhere to Conservation Area Policy.

 

Comment:  Members were agreed that the replacement of the downpipe and painting parts of the exterior fascia grey was acceptable.

 

 9689
P16/S2266/FUL YOUENS DRIVE
Change of use from public open space to residential gardens.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: ESDQ16, ESDQ19, ESDQ28
SODC Local Plan Policies: D3, D4
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ3, CSEN1, CSEN3

 

 9690
P16/S2377/FUL HIGHCLERE, THAME PARK ROAD
Replacement of outbuilding with a single storey 2-bedroom dwelling for use as a residential annexe.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Subject to the annexe being ancillary to the use of the main dwelling in perpetuity

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: H5, H6, ESDQ11, ESDQ13, ESDQ16, ESDQ17, ESDQ18, ESDQ19, ESDQ21, ESDQ22, ESDQ26, ESDQ27, ESDQ28, ESDQ29, D1
SODC Local Plan Policies: G6, D1, D2, D3, D4, D10, D11, T1, T2
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ2, CSQ3

 

 9691
P16/S2317/HH 60 TOWERSEY DRIVE
Erection of single storey front and rear extensions.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: ESDQ16, ESDQ19, ESDQ28, ESDQ29
SODC Local Plan Policies: D1, D2, D4, H13, T2
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ3

 

 9692
P16/S2116/FUL LORD WILLIAMS’S UPPER SCHOOL, OXFORD ROAD
Extension and re-configuration of the existing tennis courts.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies: ESDQ10, ESDQ11, ESDQ12, ESDQ16, ESDQ19
SODC Local Plan Policies: EP2, D1, H13
Core Strategy Policies: CSQ2, CSQ3

 

 

a) Transport Representative – Cllr Stiles apologised that there was no written report.  The minutes of the last Parish Transport Representatives meeting were available with the Committee Papers.  At the meeting representatives agreed that it was useful to continue to meet.  The County Council would continue to provide a venue and the Chairman would arrange secretarial support.

 

A meeting with Cllr Stiles, the Town Clerk and the Information Centre Officer to discuss the options for a replacement bus service would take place tomorrow.  Three residents from the Eastern end of the town had used the Comet Service last Tuesday, with two finding it useful.  The Thames Travel T1 has been extended from Watlington to Chinnor.

 

 

The items for information were noted.

 

The meeting concluded at 7.25pm

 

 

 

Signed ……………………..
Chairman, 6 September 2016