Proposal:
Application number 24/02361/FUL. Demolition of existing buildings and replacement with new building, comprising research and development/office space with ancillary commercial space (Use Class E), hard and soft landscaping, cycle and car parking and associated infrastructure.
New Barclay House 234 Botley Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 0HP
Our Response:
The application site is located towards the northern end of Botley Road, one of the principle routes into the City Centre from the West. The site sits on a prominent plot adjacent to the Seacourt Park & Ride site.
Botley Road itself is home to a number of uses, including residential, and a variety of commercial uses which are mainly located within the retail park. The majority of the commercial development located within the Retail Park is two storey in height – so whilst relatively large in terms of footprint they are low and sit comfortably alongside the adjoining residential development.
Due to the Botley Road sitting outside the West End Spatial Strategy Framework area and not being allocated for any specific use within the Local Plan, the City Council produced a Technical Advice Note (TAN) in October 2022 to provide a material consideration in decision making for any proposals that come forward within the Botley Road area. Although the application sits just outside the identified boundary within this advice, OPT consider the TAN to be a relevant document due to proximity of this site to the identified area, and the potential impact development could have on the overall character of the Botley Road.
In paragraph 8.7 of the TAN (TAN17: Botley Road Retail Park Development Brief) it is cited that the proposed application site constitutes the “Formal Edge” of the city, and as such, new development should not exceed 75.33m above ordnance datum (AOD) or 17.33m above finished floor level (FFL). The above application exceeds this specified limit with the plant at roof level coming in at 82m AOD or 24.3m above FFL. This measurement excludes the flues, which further increases the proposed buildings height to 89.599m AOD or 31.899m above FFL.
OPT have not been able to find any justification in the supporting information to depart from the height guidance set out within TAN17. Paragraph 8.7 within the document is clear in its advice “the heights” should inform further rigorous testing and analysis to support individual development proposals” this is not a green light to breach the proposed maximum heights, rather that development of even 17.3m will need to demonstrate a rigorous assessment of the potential impacts.
It is undeniable that the introduction of a four-storey building, with plant at roof level and extraction chimneys will set a precedent and change the current character of the Botley Road, which needs very thoughtful consideration. The Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment confirms that the development will be visible from a number of raised publicly accessible vantage points within the city, including Castle Mound, St Georges Tower, St Michaels at the Northgate, Carfax Tower and St Marys Tower.
OPT do not object in principle to the redevelopment of this site, but do have concerns regarding the height of the building (mainly the roof at plant level and extraction chimneys) and how these will sit in views both from the city centre out, and from the adjoining western hills in. With three applications current submitted for the redevelopment of sites along the Botley Road (24/02372/FUL & 24/02371/FUL) it is clear great change is imminent for this key route into the city. A Technical Advice Note has been produced by the City Council to help manage the level of development and the scale of change – if this guidance is not applied to the first applications that come forward within the area and its immediate surrounds then it will set a precedent for future sites.
OPT urge officers to consider whether the overall height, massing – especially of the plant and extractions chimneys – could be reduced to mitigate against any potential impacts on sensitive views across the western side of the city.