Agenda item

Refused, against officer recommendation. Reasons to be set out in the minutes.

The Committee considered application 23/02071/F for a new build dwelling at land to the rear Of Wheelwright Cottage Main Street North Newington for Mr Kambiz Khabiri.

Susia Barnes, local resident, addressed the Committee in objection to the application.

In reaching its decision the Committee considered the officers report and presentation, addresses from the public speakers and the written updates.

Contrary to the officers’ recommendation, it was proposed by Councillor Webb and seconded by Councillor Reynolds that application 23/02071/F be refused, for the following reasons (wording of refusal reasons delegated to officers)

1.         The proposed development is not an infill development or a conversion. The proposal would therefore be contrary to the Council’s housing strategy.

2.         The development would result in overdevelopment of the site and inappropriate development in the location and would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and would adversely affect the living conditions of neighbours. This would be contrary Policies ESD15 and Villages 1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031, saved Policies C28 and C30 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

3.         The application failed to demonstrate the proposed dwelling would be served by a satisfactory vehicular access and would therefore result in parking being displaced to the public highway contrary to Policy ESD15 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 and Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

Resolved

That, contract to the officer’s recommendation, application 23/03109/F be refused for the following reasons:

1.         By reason of its siting and its spatial relationship to surrounding development, the proposed development would not be infill development and by reason of its nature the proposed development is not a conversion. New residential development is only permitted at North Newington where it comprises conversion or appropriate infilling. The proposal therefore conflicts with the Council’s housing strategy. In addition, by reason of its scale and siting, the proposal would result in overdevelopment of the site and inappropriate development in this location and would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and would adversely affect the living conditions of neighbours. The identified harm, which in the case of that caused to the Conservation Area is less than substantial, would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the proposal’s benefits. The proposal thus fails to accord with Policies ESD15 and Villages 1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031, saved Policies C28 and C30 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.         The applicant has failed to demonstrate that the proposed dwelling would be served by a satisfactory vehicular access. As such the proposed development cannot provide accessible onplot parking and would therefore result in parking being displaced to the public highway. The local area already suffers from a lack of availability of suitable on-street parking. The additional on-street parking and the need to accommodate servicing and delivery vehicles associated with proposed dwelling would lead to increased pressure for on-street parking in a part of the village unable to accommodate it. This could lead to inappropriate parking on or near the bend in the main road through the village adjacent to the application site. Any resultant increase in on-street parking would adversely affect the safety and convenience of highway users, contrary to Policy ESD15 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 and Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.