Agenda item

Approved in line with officer recommendation, subject to conditions, details to be set out in the minutes.

The Committee considered application 24/02872/F for the construction, operation, and decommissioning of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility and associated infrastructure at Oxford South Depot, 1 Woodstock Road, Yarnton, OX5 1NY for Renewable Connections Developments Limited.

 

Jack Halstead, the applicant, addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

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

 

Resolved

 

That, in line with the officer’s recommendation, authority be delegated to the Assistant Director for Planning and Development to grant permission for application 24/02872/F subject to:

 

(a)      No objections from the council’s ecologist following

Receipt of final ecology report and

(b)      The conditions set out below (and any amendments to those conditions as deemed necessary)

 

CONDITIONS

 

Time Limit

 

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.

 

Compliance with Plans

 

2. Except where otherwise stipulated by conditions attached to this permission,

the development shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the form and

following approved plans: RCN 1016 SP 01 rev 4, RCN 1016 DZ 01 rev 5, RCN

1016 220 rev 1, RCN 1016 221 rev 1, RCN 1016 226 rev 1, RCN 1016 230 rev

0, RCN 1016 222 rev 1, RCN 1016 232 rev 0, RCN 1016 250 rev 1, RCN 1016

255 rev 1, RCN 1016 231 rev 0, RCN 1016 PLE 02 rev 10, 8127 ASP4 LSP rev

E, 1676 TCP 001 rev A, 1676 TPP 003 rev B, 1676 AIP 002 rev B, and

unnumbered drawing ‘Hydrant tank 228m3 effective capacity’.

 

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.

 

Temporary Permission

 

3. The permission shall expire no later than 40 years from its first operational use.

Written confirmation of the date of the first operational use shall be provided to

the Local Planning Authority no later than one calendar month after the event.

 

Reason - In order to safeguard the amenities of the area and to comply with

Policy ESD15 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 and saved Policy

C28 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and Government guidance contained

within the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

4. Not later than 24 months before the end of this permission, a decommissioning

and site restoration scheme shall be submitted to and approved by the Local

Planning Authority, such scheme to include the management and timing of any

works and traffic management plan to address likely traffic impact issues during

the decommissioning period. The approved scheme shall be fully implemented

within 12 months of the expiry of this permission.

 

Reason: To ensure the environment is protected during decommission in

accordance with saved Policy ENV1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and

Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy

Framework.

 

5. No development shall commence (including demolition, ground works,

vegetation clearance) unless and until a Construction Environmental

Management Plan (CEMP: Biodiversity) has been submitted to and approved

in writing by the local planning authority. The CEMP: Biodiversity shall include

as a minimum:

 

·        Risk assessment and mitigation of potentially damaging construction activities.

·        Identification of ‘Biodiversity Protection Zones’

·        Practical measures (both physical measures and sensitive working practices) to avoid or reduce impacts during construction (may be provided as a set of method statements)

·        The location and timing of sensitive works to avoid harm to biodiversity features.

·        The times during construction when specialist ecologists need to be present on site to oversee works.

·        Responsible persons and lines of communication

·        The role and responsibilities on site of an ecological clerk of works (ECoW) or similarly competent person

·        Use of protective fences, exclusion barriers and warning signs

 

The approved CEMP: Biodiversity shall be adhered to and implemented

throughout the construction period strictly in accordance with the approved

details.

 

Reason - To protect habitats of importance to biodiversity conservation from

any loss or damage in accordance with Policy ESD10 of the Cherwell Local

Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 and government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

6.No development shall commence until the existing tree(s) to be retained as

shown on approved drawing number 1676 TPP 003 rev B have been protected

in accordance with the Arboricultural Impact Assessment by Seed (reference

1676-AIA-V1-C, dated 7th October 2024). The barriers shall be erected before

any equipment, machinery or materials are brought onto the site for the

purposes of development and shall be maintained until the development is

completed. Nothing shall be stored or placed within the areas protected by the

barriers.

 

Reason - To ensure the continued health of retained trees/hedges and to

ensure that they are not adversely affected by the construction works, in the

interests of the visual amenity of the area, to ensure the integration of the

development into the existing landscape and to comply with Policy ESD15 of

the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1, saved Policy C28 of the Cherwell

Local Plan 1996 and government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

7. No development shall commence until a surface water management strategy

has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

The strategy shall be fully informed by the hydrological and hydroecological

context of the site and the design of any infiltration devices shall be informed by

the results of winter groundwater monitoring. The works shall be undertaken in

accordance with the approved strategy and no hard-standing areas shall be

constructed until the works have been carried out in accordance with the

surface water strategy so approved.

 

Reason - To prevent environmental and amenity problems arising from flooding

and to comply with government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

8. Prior to any demolition on the site and the commencement of the development

(other than in accordance with the agreed and submitted Written Scheme of

Investigation [Land East of Woodstock Road, Yarnton, AOC Project No:

80204]), a staged programme of archaeological evaluation and mitigation shall

be carried out by the commissioned archaeological organisation in accordance

with the approved Written Scheme of Investigation. The programme of work

shall include all processing, research, and analysis necessary to produce an

accessible and useable archive and a full report for publication which shall be

submitted to the Local Planning Authority within two years of the completion of

the archaeological fieldwork.

 

Reason – To safeguard the identification, recording, analysis and archiving of

heritage assets before they are lost and to advance understanding of the

heritage assets in their wider context through publication and dissemination of

the evidence in accordance with the NPPF (2024).

 

9. No development shall commence above slab level until a scheme for

landscaping the site has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local

Planning Authority. The scheme shall include:

 

·        Details of the proposed tree and shrub planting including their species, number, sizes, and positions, together with grass seeded/turfed areas and written specifications (including cultivation and other operations associated with plant and grass establishment i.e. depth of topsoil, mulch, etc.),

 

·        Details of the existing trees and hedgerows to be retained as well as those to be felled, including existing and proposed soil levels at the base of each tree/hedgerow and the minimum distance between the base of the tree and the nearest edge of any excavation,

 

·        Details of the hard landscaping including hard surface areas, pavements, pedestrian areas, and steps.

 

The development shall be carried out in strict accordance with the approved

landscaping scheme and the hard landscape elements shall be carried out prior

to the first occupation or use of the development and shall be retained as such

thereafter.

 

All planting, seeding, or turfing included in the approved details of landscaping

shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the

occupation of the building(s) [or on the completion of the development,

whichever is the sooner,] and shall be maintained for a period of 5 years from

the completion of the development. Any trees and/or shrubs which within a

period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed

or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting

season with others of similar size and species. The approved hard landscaping

and boundary treatments shall be completed prior to the first occupation of the

development and shall be retained as such thereafter.

 

Reason - To ensure that a satisfactory landscape scheme is provided in the

interest of visual amenity of the area and to comply with Policies ESD13 and

ESD15 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1, saved Policy C28 of the

Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and government guidance contained within the

National Planning Policy Framework.

 

10. No development shall commence above slab level, nor any excavations or

belowground work be undertaken, until a detailed Arboricultural Method

Statement has first been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local

Planning Authority. The Arboricultural Method Statement shall accord with the

provisions of BS5837:2012 and shall include details of Arboricultural

supervision for key stages of development, including installation of utilities

within the root protection areas of retained trees.

 

Reason - To ensure the continued health of retained trees/hedges and to

ensure that they are not adversely affected by the construction works, in the

interests of the visual amenity of the area, to ensure the integration of the

development into the existing landscape and to comply with Policy ESD15 of

the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1, saved Policy C28 of the Cherwell

Local Plan 1996 and government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

11. Prior to their installation, full details of the site security arrangements, including

proposed security fencing, gates, CCTV and alarm systems, and monitoring

arrangements, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local

Planning Authority and shall be retained as such for the lifetime of the

development.

Reason – In the interests of security and the reduction of crime and the fear of

crime, in accordance with Government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

12. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out strictly in accordance

with the Construction Traffic Management Plan by Motion, dated August 2024,

unless otherwise first agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason - In the interests of highway safety and to mitigate the impact of

construction vehicles on the surrounding highway network, road infrastructure

and local residents, particularly at morning and afternoon peak traffic times, and

in accordance with Policy ESD15 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1,

Policy ENV1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and government guidance

contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

13. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out strictly in accordance

with the Noise Assessment (reference 784-B048909) by Tetra Tech, dated

October 2024, including installation of the mitigation measures contained within

Section 6 prior to the first use of the development, unless otherwise first agreed

in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason - To ensure the creation of a satisfactory environment free from

intrusive levels of noise in accordance with saved Policy ENV1 of the Cherwell

Local Plan 1996 and government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

14. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the

recommendations set out in Section 3 of the Ecological Impact Assessment by

Clarkson & Woods Ecological Consultants, dated February 2025, unless

otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

 

Reason - To protect habitats and/or species of importance to nature

conservation from significant harm in accordance with government guidance

contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

15. Prior to first occupation of the development hereby approved a Landscape and

Ecology Management Plan (LEMP) shall be submitted to and approved in

writing by the local planning authority. The development shall not be carried out

other than in full accordance with the approved LEMP including any/all

timescales set out therein.

 

Reason - To protect habitats of importance to biodiversity conservation from

any loss or damage in accordance with Policy ESD10 of the Cherwell Local

Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 and government guidance contained within the National

Planning Policy Framework.

 

16. Prior to the first use of the development hereby approved details of all external

lighting including the design, position, orientation, and any screening of the

lighting shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning

Authority. The lighting shall be installed in accordance with the approved

scheme prior to the first use of the development hereby approved and shall be

operated and maintained as such at all times thereafter.

 

Reason - In the interests of visual amenity and highway safety and to protect

the amenities of nearby residents and to comply with Policy ESD15 of the

Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1, saved Policies C28 and ENV1 of the

Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and government guidance contained within the

National Planning Policy Framework.

 

17. No part of the development shall be brought into use unless and until full details

of the means of access between the land and the highway, including layout,

construction, drainage, and vision splays have been submitted to and approved

in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The means of access shall be

constructed in strict accordance with the approved details and shall be retained

and maintained as such thereafter.

 

Reason - In the interests of highway safety and to comply with Policy ESD15 of

the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1 and Government guidance contained

within the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

INFORMATIVES

 

1.An obligation to enter into a S278 Agreement will be required to secure

mitigation/ improvement works. Identification of areas required to be dedicated

as public highway and agreement of all relevant landowners will be necessary

in order to enter into the S278 agreements.