Clarification about applications involving two routes

At yesterday’s Headington Ward Focus meeting, we promised to contact the
planning officer for advice on a question asked about the up and coming
planning application for the energy pipe.

The question was basically: “If there are two routes proposed for the pipe, do
residents need to say which route they prefer in the neighbourhood
consultation? Will it be almost like voting for which one is best?”

We’ve asked the case officer for this application, and he has sent
the following clarification:

It is understood that there are proposals to provide a preferred and an
alternate route for the energy pipe. The most obvious approach with this would
be for the developer to apply for their preferred route and do a separate
application for the alternative route (just dealing with that section of the
route). If planning permission were granted for both schemes then a legal
agreement could be considered to ensure that only one planning permission is
implemented.

To clarify, it would not normally be recommended to apply for both routes in
the same application as this could be confusing.

Following discussion with the officer, our understanding re timescales is as
follows:

If the application is for one route only (via All Saints Rd and Lime Walk), the
paperwork will need to be verified, a decision will be made on whether it needs
environmental impact screening, then if not and all is well it would go out for
8 weeks consultation. The case officer would write a report, informed by public
comments, with a recommendation either to grant or refuse permission, and the
report would be presented at East Area Planning Committee who will determine
the outcome. This would be the quickest option for the applicants. Yesterday it
appeared that the earliest date the application will be ready may well be May –
in which case it may just make the July 6th meeting or potentially the meeting
on 3rd August.

If a separate application is made for an alternative section of route (via
Stapleton Road and Old Road), the process would take longer as a legal
agreement will need to be arranged, and that could take a further 6-8 weeks or
so. That’s to ensure that works don’t happen in both Stapleton Road and Lime
Walk at the same time, it’s got to be one or the other. So in that scenario the
timescale might slip to September/October before EAPC can make a determination.

The Lime Walk option is currently the preferred route. But we won’t know for
sure till we see the application.