Issue - meetings


Bicester Sports Association, The Tudor Jones Building, Akeman Street, Chesterton, Bicester OX26 1TH

Meeting: 18/06/2020 - Planning Committee (Item 32)

32 Bicester Sports Association, The Tudor Jones Building, Akeman Street, Chesterton, Bicester OX26 1TH pdf icon PDF 135 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Refused, reasons to be set out in the minutes

Minutes:

The Committee considered application 19/00934/F for the change of use of agricultural land and extension of the existing Bicester Sports Association facilities for enhanced sports facilities including relocation and reorientation of existing pitches and archery zone, 2no training pitches with floodlighting, 2no match pitches, new flexible sports pitch, new rugby training grids, new clubhouse with events space, new rifle and shooting range, cricket scorers building, storage and maintenance buildings and provision of associated car parking, amended access, landscaping and other associated works at  Bicester Sports Association, The Tudor Jones Building, Akeman Street, Chesterton, Bicester OX26 1TH for Bicester Sports Association.

 

Councillor Barry Wood, Local Ward Member addressed the Committee.

 

Roger Wise, Bicester Town Football Club supporter addressed the Committee in objection to the application.

 

John Malins, representing Bicester Sports Association (the applicant), addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

In reaching its decision the Committee considered the officer’s report and presentation, the addresses of the public speakers and the written updates.

 

Resolved

 

(1)       That application 19/00934/F be refused for the following reasons:

 

1.    The proposed development would result in the creation of a significant replacement recreation facility to serve Bicester and the surrounding area in a geographically unsustainable location. It has no access via public transport and poor walking and cycling routes and would not reduce the need to travel or be accessible or offer a genuine choice of alternative travel modes over the private motor vehicle. The site would therefore not be an appropriate location for this scale of development whether considered as a replacement facility or a new facility. The proposal therefore conflicts with Policies SLE4, ESD1 and BSC10 of the Cherwell Local Plan Part 1 (2015) and Government guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

2.    The proposed development would detrimentally impact on the rural character and appear of the area by virtue of being a prominent and visually intrusive form of development in an open countryside location.  The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy ESD13 and ESD15 of the Cherwell Local Plan Part 1 (2015) and Saved Policy C8 and C28 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and Government guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework.