19/00779/FUL

Land At 1-7 Jack Straw's Lane 302-304 And 312 Marston Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX3 0DL

29 March 2020

Redevelopment of the site comprising demolition of existing carpenter’s yard buildings, 1 and 3 Jack Straw’s Lane, and 302, 304, 312 Marston Road, and the erection of six new buildings to provide 5 C3 dwellings (3 x 1 bed, 2 x 2 bed), 153 student rooms, and 140sqm (Class B1 (a)) office space. (Amended plans 10.03.2020)

We share the concerns of others regarding the provision of yet more student housing, particularly of the speculative (as opposed to university) variety, and we regret that the opportunity has not been taken to deliver attractive affordable housing in this eminently suitable location. The modest changes in the amended plans do not change our view. We note that the expected involvement of Green Templeton College has not materialised. There is little doubt that this application does not meet the criteria of policy H8 of the draft City Local Plan 2036 which is so near to final approval. This is all the clearer from the great efforts made by the applicant to minimise the importance of policy H8 in their lengthy covering letter of 6 March 2020. We argue that policy H8 should be given much greater weight than the applicant suggests.