1.	APPLICATION SITE AND LOCALITY 

1.1.	The site sits within the development site at Kingsmere in south west Bicester, which was granted outline permission under 06/00967/OUT for residential development with associated facilities including a secondary school and associated landscaping. Following the approval of the application a Design Code was agreed for the site, this, along with the Masterplan of the site, has guided the design process of the school.
1.2.	In terms of constraints the site is roughly triangular between three separate roads – the A41, Whiteland’s Way (B4030) and an as yet unnamed road linking the two. The south of the site has a legal covenant ensuring that it is only developed for the purpose of sports grounds; this extends to the west along the B4030, creating a ‘green corridor’. Top to the south of the site are two ponds which have been laid out as part of the overall landscaping of the planned development.
2.	DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
2.1.	This application follows an approved Oxfordshire County application earlier in 2018 - 18/00154/OCC – with some relatively minor changes proposed to that scheme by way of a variation of condition. The changes include;
•	Update of the landscape scheme and parking layout;
•	Change the school access points;
•	Provide 300 parking spaces;
•	Adjust location of gas meter housing, sprinkler tank and bin store;
•	Adjust fencing layout
•	Amend tree planting;
•	Extend pavement to the north of the access road;
•	Amend external lighting layout to include lighting to cycle parking;
•	Changes to drainage layout at Land adjoining the site

3.	RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY

3.1.	The following planning history is considered relevant to the current proposal: 
Application Ref.	Proposal	Decision	
	
06/00967/OUT	Outline - Up to 1585 no. dwellings; health village to include health and employment uses and elderly persons nursing home; B1 and B2 employment uses; local centre comprising of shops, a pub/restaurant, children's day nursery, offices and a community centre; 2 no. primary schools and 1 no. secondary school; a hotel; a sports pavilion; formal and informal open space; a link road between A41 and Middleton Stoney Road/Howes Lane junction; associated new roads, junctions, parking, infrastructure, earthworks and new accesses to agricultural land (as amended by plans and documents received 24.10.06).	Application Permitted	
18/00154/OCC	Planning application by Oxfordshire County Council for planning permission for the new secondary school (Alchester Academy) with associated hard and soft landscaping, car parking, playing fields and infrastructure on land in the Kingsmere Development in South West Bicester.	Application Permitted	
3.2.	This present application is a variation of the earlier 18/00154/OCC
4.	PUBLICITY

5.1.	This application has been by OCC.
5.	RELEVANT PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE

5.1.	Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

5.2.	The Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 - Part 1 was formally adopted by Cherwell District Council on 20th July 2015 and provides the strategic planning policy framework for the District to 2031.  The Local Plan 2011-2031 – Part 1 replaced a number of the ‘saved’ policies of the adopted Cherwell Local Plan 1996 though many of its policies are retained and remain part of the development plan. The relevant planning policies of Cherwell District’s statutory Development Plan are set out below:

CHERWELL LOCAL PLAN 2011 - 2031 PART 1 (CLP 2031 Part 1)

•	PSD1 – Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development
•	BSC7 – Meeting Educational Needs
•	BSC10 – Open Space, Outdoor Sport and Recreation Provision
•	ESD13 – Local Landscape Protection and Enhancement 
•	ESD15 - The Character of the Built and Historic Environment

CHERWELL LOCAL PLAN 1996 SAVED POLICIES (CLP 1996)

•	C28 – Layout, design and external appearance of new development

Other Material Planning Considerations

•	National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
•	Planning Practice Guidance (PPG)

6.	APPRAISAL

6.1.	The proposed changes are all relatively minor and would have little impact over and above the approved scheme. 

6.2.	The previous consultation response highlighted two issues raised by local residents. 

6.3.	The first of these was the location of the bin store, which was considered unnecessarily close to residential housing. The bin store has been moved under the proposed plans – but only a few metres to the side of its former proposed location, as opposed to further away from the nearby houses. This issue remains therefore.

6.4.	Secondly concerns over the location of the pupil entrances along the green lane were made as it was felt that these could encourage pupils to cross the un-adopted driveways of the adjacent residences. The entrance locations have been moved and they are no longer opposite the turning heads that they were previously, it is considered that this may well alleviate the perceived issue as pupils will be more likely to use the green lane itself. 

7.	RECOMMENDATION
That Oxfordshire County Council be advised that Cherwell Distract Council have no overall objections and welcome the development of the school. However the following comments are made and it is requested that these be taken into account in the consideration of the application:

•	The position of the proposed bin store is unnecessarily close to the nearby residents – could a new location be found further onto the site, but still accessible by the refuge company.

Case Officer: 	John Gale	DATE: 08.01.19	
Checked By: 	Paul Ihringer	DATE: 8/1/19