Title: Godswell Park, Bloxham
Author: Rebecca Horley
Last saved by: Nathanael Stock
Company: Cherwell District Council

Wyndham Hall
Skimmingdish Lane
Launton
OX26 5AF

19/00266/F

Case Officer: | Michael Sackey | Recommendation: Approval
Applicant: | Maria Mallaband Care Home Group Ltd
Proposal: | Creation of eleven car parking spaces
Expiry Date:	11 April 2019

1.	APPLICATION SITE AND LOCALITY 

1.1.	The application relates to the Wyndham Hall care home in Bicester to the north east of the roundabout between Skimmingdish Lane and Launton Road. The care home was originally permitted under 13/00372/OUT and 13/01378/REM. The building is not listed and the site is not within a Conservation area but is within Flood Zones 2 and 3. The site is also identified as potentially contaminated land 
2.	DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
2.1.	The applicant seeks planning consent for the extension of the existing car parking provision with an additional eleven car parking spaces to replace the existing grass verge. The proposed extension to the northeast end of the existing car park would measure approximately 3m depth and 15.4m width. The proposed extension to the southwest end of the car park measures approximately 3.4m depth and 8m width.   
2.2.	The current application relates to a Flood Risk Assessment received by email on the (02/04/2019) at 10:59 hrs. 
3.	RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY

3.1.	There is no planning history directly relevant to the proposal 
4.	PRE-APPLICATION DISCUSSIONS

4.1.	No pre-application discussions have taken place with regard to this proposal 

5.	RESPONSE TO PUBLICITY

5.1.	This application has been publicised by way of a site notice displayed near the site and by letters sent to all properties immediately adjoining the application site that the Council has been able to identify from its records. The final date for comments was 02.04.2019, although comments received after this date and before finalising this report have also been taken into account. 
5.2.	No comments have been raised by third parties 
6.	RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION

6.1.	Below is a summary of the consultation responses received at the time of writing this report. Responses are available to view in full on the Council’s website, via the online Planning Register.
LAUNTON PARISH COUNCIL AND NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUMS
6.2.	No comments or objections 
STATUTORY CONSULTEES
6.3.	Environmental Protection - No comments or objections 
6.4.	Local Highways Authority – No objections 
NON-STATUTORY CONSULTEES
6.5.	Landscape services – consulted on the 04.03.2019 no comments received to date
7.	RELEVANT PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE

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

7.2.	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)

•	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

7.3.	Other Material Planning Considerations

•	National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
•	Planning Practice Guidance (PPG)
•	Cherwell Residential Design Guide (2018) 
•	Cherwell Council Home Extensions and Alterations Design Guide (2007) 

8.	APPRAISAL

8.1.	The key issues for consideration in this case are:

•	Principle of development
•	Design, and impact on the character of the area
•	Residential amenity
•	Flood Risk 
•	Contaminated Land 

Principle of development
8.1.	The proposal would provide additional off street parking which would help in reducing the congestion of the existing car park and the amount of on street parking within the local area related to the existing care home.  Having regards to the nature and extent of the proposal, the context of the site and the siting of the proposal in relation to existing car park, the proposed development is considered acceptable in principle subject to further considerations in terms of visual and residential impact and highway safety discussed further below.  
Design and impact on character of area
8.2.	The part of the site subject of this application forms part of an existing green verge, and, in the context of surrounding land uses, the increase in parking spaces is considered not to have any significant visual impact on the local area. It is noted that two areas of landscaping or green verge would be removed, but upon the site visit it was noted that these two areas contained soil, grass and a number of unprotected trees. I consider that loss of these areas would have a limited impact on the site and surrounding area. 
8.3.	Overall, for these reasons, it is considered that the proposal would not have a significant adverse impact on the character and appearance of the locality.  
Residential Amenity
8.4.	Given the nature of the proposal and location of the site in relation to neighbouring properties, it is considered that the proposal would not have any material impact on the amenity of local residents or other land users. 
Highway safety 
8.5.	The Local Highway Authority has raised no objections to the proposal. Officers agree with this assessment and the proposal is therefore considered acceptable in terms of highway safety.
Flood Risk 
8.6.	Although parts of the existing site are not within a flood risk zone, the area proposed for development is within flood risk zones 2 and 3. However, the applicant has submitted information with the application to clarify the proposal’s impact in terms of flooding and mitigation proposed, i.e. permeable paving, to ensure that there would be no charge or increase in surface water as a consequence of the development. The submitted flood risk assessment confirms that the Environment Agency’s previous concerns regarding flood compensation were resolved in application reference (13/00372/OUT).  
Contaminated land 
8.7.	The Council’s Environmental Protection Officer has raised no objections in relation to the proposed development, which is therefore considered to be acceptable in this regard.  
9.	PLANNING BALANCE AND CONCLUSION
9.1.	The NPPF states that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. Paragraph 8 requires that the three dimensions to sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) are not undertaken in isolation, but are sought jointly and simultaneously.
9.2.	The proposed parking area is considered to be of a scale and siting that is in keeping with the character of the area and the proposal would not have an adverse impact in terms of flood risk. The proposed development has no significant impact on neighbour amenity or highway safety and is therefore compliant with the policies outlined in section 7 of this report and planning permission should be granted subject to conditions. 

10.	RECOMMENDATION
That permission is granted, subject to the following conditions 

1.	The development to which this permission relates shall be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date of this permission.

Reason - To comply with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by Section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

2.	Except where otherwise stipulated by conditions attached to this permission, the development shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the information contained within the application form and drawings: Location plan; 19018/GA/01 and Wyndham Hall, Skimmingdish Lane, Launton, Bicester, OX26 5AF (Flood Risk Assessment).  

Reason – For the avoidance of doubt, to ensure that the development is carried out only as approved by the Local Planning Authority and comply with Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

Case Officer: | Michael Sackey | DATE: 02.04.2019
Checked By: | Nathanael Stock | DATE: 08.04.2019