Meeting of the Planning and Development Committee - 13th December 2006 - Agendas/Minutes

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These minutes are yet to be adopted by the next Council meeting on 8th January 2007 and maybe subject to change

423. PRESENT

Councillors:

Officers:

424. APOLOGIES

Mrs D McNulty (sick), Mrs A Service (work), Capt J Flood (personal), Mrs M Turner (personal) and Miss M Gordon (work).

425. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Councillor Mrs M Davies declared a prejudicial interest in item 427. planning application S.23/06, as she is a Governor of St Birinus School.

Councillor Mr A Thompson declared a prejudicial interest in item 431., as he is employed by First Great Western.

426. MINUTES

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 29th November 2006be approved and signed as a true and correct record.

UNANIMOUS

427. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

RESOLVED that the following decisions be notified to the appropriate authority in accordance with Standing Order 67, which gives delegated authority to consider and respond to planning applications:

Application Number: P06/W1206 6 Dart Drive

Amendment: No

Erection of replacement porch

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1212/A Lloyds TSB, Market Place

Amendment: No

One new shop fascia and one new illuminated hanging sign

Approve

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1213 2 Slade Road

Amendment: No

Single storey extension on the south elevation with a lean to roof

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1215 1 Warner Crescent

Amendment: No

Erect two storey side extension to form separate two bedroom dwelling with new vehicular access and detached garage

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1232 22 Glebe Road

Amendment: No

Two storey rear and side extension

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1240 3 Collingwood Avenue

Amendment: No

Single storey conservatory extension to the rear of the property

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Note:

Due to a prejudicial interest being declared, it was noted that the following planning application could not be considered as the Committee was inquorate.

The application will be included on the agenda of the next meeting of this Committee, to be held on Wednesday 3rd January 2006.

Application Number: S.23/06 St Birinus School, Mereland Road

Amendment: No

Demolition of existing single storey redundant school buildings, erection of new three storey 13 class science block

Application Number: Sutton Courtenay Landfill Site

Amendment: No

To continue the development of the extension of mineral extraction and landfill operations

No Objection

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1254 63 Park Road

Amendment: No

Extensions and alterations to roof to form two bedrooms and bathroom. Demolition of garage/erection of new

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1248 43 Tarret Burn

Amendment: No

Erection of a first floor extension over existing garage with car port in front. Rear of existing garage; internal conversion to family study and conservatory to rear

No Strong Views

UNANIMOUS

Application Number: P06/W1271 9 Hillary Drive

Amendment: No

Conservatory to the rear of the property

No Strong Views (including the comment, Should the north east elevation of the conservatory be a solid wall to 6ft?)

UNANIMOUS

428. APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED

NOTED

429. APPLICATIONS REFUSED

P06/W1058 54 Queensway

NOTED

430. Oxfordshire County Council- Oxfordshire Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Consultation Action Plan 2007-08

RESOLVED that Councillor Mrs M Davies draft a response for consideration at the next meeting of the Planning and Development Committee.

UNANIMOUS

431. FIRST GREAT WESTERN - December 2006 timetable

Due to a prejudicial interest being declared, it was noted that this matter could not be considered as the Committee was inquorate.

Note:

As the response deadline was 15th December 2006 the matter was dealt with under Standing Order 40 ‘Delegation of Urgent and Routine Matters’, as attached at Appendix A.

432. Draft Sustainable Development Strategy for 2007-2010 Consultation

RESOLVED that Councillor Dr N Hards draft a response for consideration at the next meeting of the Planning and Development Committee.

UNANIMOUS

433. CORRESPONDENCE

South Oxfordshire District Council-Planning Services

P06/W1123 70/72 Abbott Road

Amendment for information only

NOTED

(b) South Oxfordshire District Council-Legal and Democratic Services Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Town and Country Planning (Trees) Regulations 1999

South Oxfordshire District Council (Didcot Area)

Tree Preservation Order no.24/2006

NOTED

(c) CoRWM E-Bulletin, No 12, November 2006

NOTED

(d) South Oxfordshire District Council-Public Amenities

Numbering of new development 18a and 18b Mereland Road

NOTED

The Meeting commenced at 7.30pm and closed at 8.20pm

Chair

Appendix A - FIRST GREAT WESTERN-DECEMBER 2006 TIMETABLE Consultation

Didcot is in line for another 6,500 houses between 2006 and 2016. It already houses many people who commute by train to London, Reading and Oxford, plus smaller numbers who commute west to Swindon and beyond. Reading and Oxford are also major centres for shopping and leisure, and there are many daily journeys outside the peak periods from Didcot to both those towns.

We acknowledge that the new timetable is an improvement on the proposals on which we were consulted in March. However we still have a number of concerns.

  1. There is no longer a semi fast service to London between 5.45 and 6.29am on weekdays. It is not clear to us why both the 6.08 and the 6.14 now stop at all intermediate stations between Didcot and Reading. Previously the 6.12 took some of the pressure off the 6.29 fast service to Paddington but there is no longer a viable alternative. Can you please reconsider this.
  2. It now appears likely that the 6.28 to Reading and London will regularly be overcrowded. On Monday 11 December for example, the train was almost full when it left Didcot and there was standing room only when it left Reading. Virtually all the passengers who joined the train at Slough had to stand. The early morning balance has been broken and we suggest that the extra stop at Slough will never be viable.
  3. Didcot now has one less fast train to Reading and London in the morning peak period. We request that an extra service between about 7am and 8am on weekdays should stop at Didcot.
  4. In the evenings, we are not clear why the 17.00 from Paddington does not stop at Reading. That train used to pick up a lot of passengers travelling between Reading and Didcot. We feel this service may now become under used, and that the Reading stop should be reinstated. (Previously the train which did not stop at Reading was about one hour later, after the peak period for commuters working in Reading.)
  5. We are concerned at the loss of two evening fast trains from Paddington to Didcot in the peak period. We request that two extra services in this period stop at Didcot.
  6. Oxford is the other key destination from Didcot. There is a 40 minute gap between the 7.14 and the 7.54, then another 31 minute gap to the 8.25. These services are too infrequent given that Didcot is home to many people who work in Oxford.
  7. We are also concerned that there is only one fast and one stopping service to Oxford each hour outside the peak periods. We request that you review and increase the frequency of these services.
  8. There are two problems with the services to Swindon and beyond. Firstly there is nothing between the 6.24 and the 7.41 and in particular it is now very difficult to get to work in Bristol from Didcot. Secondly, although there are two trains every hour, they are only 15 minutes apart (Didcot to Swindon) or 12 minutes apart (Swindon to Didcot). Why is it not possible to provide a more regular service on this route?