Reg 3 - Delegated Report
Development Proposed: Demolition of redundant medical centre and construction of
new 2 storey residential care home.
Division Affected: Didcot East & Hagbourne
Contact Officer: Kevin Broughton
Tel: 01865 815272
Location:
17-19 Mereland Road, Didcot. OX11 8AP
Applicant:
Oxfordshire County Council
Application No:
R3.0091/14
District Ref: P14/S3152/CC
Application Received Date: 29th July 2014
Consultation Period: 1st August 2014 to 22nd August 2014
Last Consultation Response Date: 22nd October 2014
District Council Area: South Oxfordshire
Recommendation Summary: APPROVAL
I consider that this application should be delegated to the Interim Deputy Director
(Strategy & Infrastructure Planning).
Reason for delegation:
No objections were received.
Reason for Decision
Details of the Development & site location (see site plan)
1. Oxfordshire County Council took the decision that looked after children should be
retained within the county by establishing a new ’Childrens Residential Pathway’.
The Move on Home forms the final step in this new model and provides
residential accommodation for children aged 16—19 years for up to 2 years
before they reenter the community in a post care setting.
2. The site chosen is 17 - 19 Mereland Road. Planning permission was granted in
1951 for a doctor's surgery on the site. The building has gone through several
alterations and extensions until planning permission was granted for it in its
current form in 1986.
3. The site is within the built up area of Didcot and is not subject to any formal
landscape designations. There is however a Monkey Puzzle tree to the front of
the property that is the subject of a Tree Preservation Order.
4. The site is surrounded by residential properties and serviced by Mereland Road,
a residential road to the West.
5. The site is completely developed. The surgery and attached building is
surrounded by hardstanding that has been mostly used for parking.
6. The proposed building (188sqm) would have a has a smaller footprint than the
existing (373sqm) building. It would be located centrally on the site in and in line
with the neighbouring house (19a Mereland Road) to the south.
7. The internal layout has been developed to provide for the specific needs of the
home and to create a normal domestic environment. The external spaces are
clearly divided between the semi-private frontage, where the parking is located in
a landscaped setting, and the private rear garden which is separated by a secure
1.8 meter high close boarded fence with a lockable gate leading to the bin store,
cycle parking and rear garden.
8. The massing of the proposed building follows the design of the “garden suburb”
style houses in the area with steep pitched tiled roofs, extending at the sides from
2 storey to single storey. The roof would be just over 9m at its highest point.
9. The building would be constructed in red brickwork to match neighbouring houses
to the ground floor with buff render to the first floor. The gutters and downpipes
would be black powder coated aluminium. The windows would be white coated
alumimium.
10. Photovoltaics are proposed to be installed to the south and west facing roofs.
11. The proposal would reduce car parking on the site from 11 to six with access
directly onto mereland Road. The application also includes a cycle shelter with
secure parking for 6 cycles.
12. The proposed surface water drainage system follows SUDDs principles with
porous paving to all areas and rainwater discharging to a new soakaway located
in the rear garden.
Consultations/Representations
13. There was one third party response from a neighbour requesting that the
boundary wall be extended along the boundary between their property and the
proposed development. The applicants agreed to that request and the plans were
altered accordingly.
14. The following consultation responses were received:
South Oxfordshire District Council (Planning) - no objection subject to a condition
requiring a more appropriate variety of tree replacing the TPOd tree.
Environment Agency - Low risk development, therefore no individual response.
Transport Development Control - no objection.
County Arboriculturalist - no objection subject to a condition requiring a tree
planting plan and schedule, to include at least two trees, prior to commencement
of the development.
County Archaeologist - no constraints on the scheme.
Didcot Town Council - Welcome the application.
Protected Species Officer - no comments.
Policy Background
15. South Oxfordshire Core Strategy Policies: CSS1, CSM2.
South Oxfordshire Local Plan Policies: G5. CF2, D2, D4, D10, EP6.
National Planning Policy Framework
Main Issues
General Principle of the Location
16. Policy CSS1 of the SOCS states among other things that proposals should be
consistent with focusing major new developments at Didcot so the town can
provide homes, jobs, services and transport connectivity. Although not a major
development, the proposal is located where there are links to jobs services and
transport to give greater prospects for the children.
17. The proposal would reuse an existing developed site within the built up area of
Didcot and would therefore accord with policy G5 of the SOLP.
18. The proposal would result in the provision of an additional community facility. The
development would also result in the loss of a community facility, namely a
doctor's surgery, but the surgery is not currently operating and there appears to
be no plans to reopen it. The proposal would therefore be consistent with the
aims of policy CF2 of the SOLP which encourages the provision of new
Community Facilities.
19. The prosed development is compatible with the policies regarding the general
principle of location.
Transport and Parking Issues
20. Policy CSM1 of the SOCS says among other things that access by sustainable
modes of transport will be encouraged. The number of vehicles generated is low
and the number of spaces for car parking has dropped from 11 to 6. At the same
time six cycle parking spaces have been provided. In addition the site is well
within walking distance of the town centre, bus and rail links.
21. Policy D2 of the SOLP requires adequate safe and secure parking as part of the
development. Transport Development Control has not objected to the
development, and therefore the access to the site must be safe and secure.
22. The proposed development is therefore acceptable in terms of its transport
implications.
Design Issues
23. Policy EP6 of the SOLP requires that the surface water drainage accords with
sustainable drainage principles and will mitigate any adverse effects from the
surface water runoff and flooding. The non-porous surfacing on the existing site
would be replaced with a porous surface which would be compatible with that
policy.
24. Policy D4 of the SOLP states that development will not be permitted if it would
harm the amenity of the neighbouring properties. There were no objections to the
development from any of the neighbours, and indeed the applicant altered the
plans of the development to meet the request of the neighbour. The general
massing and design of the building would be in keeping with the residential
neighbourhood and would not in my view lead to any loss of amenity. Removal of
the redundant flat roofed extension would be an improvement to the area.
25. The removal of the Monkey Puzzle Tree would have an impact of the street
scene, but it is very close to the building and would require removal at some
point. Both the County's Arboricultural Officer and SODC have requested that its
loss is compensated for by the planting of two trees on the site. I believe that with
the condition requested by the Arboricultural Officer the amenity of neighbouring
properties would not be harmed.
26. Adequate provision for storage space for the management of waste should be
designed into the development in accordance with policy D10 of the SOLP. The
proposal has a bin area designated, and there is sufficient space on the site to
provide more if there was a future need. In my opinion the development complies
with policy D10.
27. The proposed Development is acceptable in terms of its design and the effect on
the local amenity.
Conclusion
28. The proposed development would provide a valuable community facility. It is
acceptable in terms of its general location, transport impacts and design and
should therefore be granted permission on its merits.
Recommendation
1. It is RECOMMENDED that planning permission be approved for
Application R3.0091/14 subject to the following conditions:
1. Detailed Compliance.
2. To be implemented within 3 years.
3. Prior to the development taking place a plan and schedule of
planting to be submitted and approved.
Compliance with National Planning Policy Framework
29. In accordance with paragraphs 186 and 187 of the NPPF Oxfordshire County
Council take a positive and proactive approach to decision making focused on
solutions and fostering the delivery of sustainable development. We worked with
applicant in a positive and proactive manner by;
 offering a pre-application advice service which was taken up by the
applicant, and
 updating applicants and agents of any issues that arose in the processing
of their application and where possible suggesting solutions.
During the consultation process, a concern was raised by a neighbour. The
applicant was informed and they amended the application, and the neighbour was
pleased with the amendment.
Standard approval for Delegated Reports for Reg 3 and Minerals & Waste
Signed ……
…………………………………………… ( Case Officer)
Date ………28th October 2014……………………….
Report approved by …………………………………………
Planning Regulation Service Manager
On behalf of the Interim Deputy Director (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning)
Date: