Works on Beech House in Latimer Road – latest newsletter

 

Thanks to Winvic for the October works newsletter reproduced as follows.

Site summary

At present we have 1 sub-contractor on site who is carrying out the civil works to the basement in readiness for the steel frame to be erected from the 05.12.16      

Works are progressing well on site with the commencement of the attenuation tank which will take all the storm water from the central courtyard once completed.

We have now commenced the water proofing system which sites on top of the concrete blinding after the bulk excavation is complete to level to which the re bar cages are then put in place to allow the installation of the basement slab

Progress to date

  • Bulk excavation ongoing

  • Cropping of piles

  • Installation of concrete blinding to basement

  • Installation of water proofing system

  • Construction of re bar cages

  • Installation of sheet piling

  • Installation of temp propping system to attenuation tank 

  • Installation of re bar cages to piles

Work to be progressed over the next 4 weeks:

  •  Complete bulk excavation

  •  Ongoing installation of water proofing system to basement

  •  Ongoing concrete blinding to basement prior to water proofing system

  •  Install attenuation tank base blinding

  •  Integrity tests to piles

  •  Concreting of 1st slab pour to basement inclusive of drainage ducts to basement

  •  Installation of base to attenuation tank to accommodate the installation of the tower crane

Planning appeal against refusal dismissed

The following appeal against refusal to grant a lawful development certificate has been dismissed by the Inspector, but interestingly he comments that

I am satisfied that the Council’s refusal of the application is well-founded, although not for the reason given by them.

Appeal Ref: APP/G3110/X/16/3149388
2 Piper Street, Headington, Oxford OX3 7AR

 

Old Road Campus – extension to temporary buildings consent

Here is a copy of a letter that has been sent to residents in Old Road by the University of Oxford explaining its reasons for asking to retain temporary consent till 2018 or later

Dear Neighbour,

You may be aware that the University has previously obtained temporary planning permission for a number of buildings on the north eastern part of the Old Road Campus site, including a pre-fabricated building, a 3 storey research building, catering building, security hut and ancillary development which includes an electricity substation, footpaths, bicycle parking, CCTV poles/cameras and lighting.

This development was approved under planning consent 14/01494/FUL and was required as enabling work to allow the implementation of the first phases of development for the wider Old Road Campus site as approved under outline planning consent 12/02072/OUT.

The development was required to provide temporary accommodation for staff and services which had to vacate buildings that were demolished to allow construction of the Big Data Institute (BDI) Building. The existing permission granted temporary planning permission for these buildings for a period of 3 years from the date of the permission or until occupation of the BDI Building at which point the buildings should be removed. The BDI Building is due to be occupied in January 2017, however, the temporary buildings currently contain uses that will be relocated into the approved Amenities and Bioescalator Building (approved under reference 15/00996/RES) and not the BDI Building.

The University is therefore submitting an application for the retention of the previously consented temporary works for further periods of time while the Amenities and Bioescalator Building is being constructed which is due to be completed in July 2018. This will not involve any changes to the buildings already on site.

The application will seek consent that the temporary buildings and ancillary works including substation and switch gear will be retained for a temporary period of three years or occupation of the Amenities and Bioescalator Building, whichever is the sooner.

There is also a temporary footpath to the north of the site, which provides safe access to and from the car park for the nursery which operates within the adjacent ‘Triangle Building’ on the Campus. The nursery use has a temporary consent (reference:14/03540/FUL) for a period up to 21 May 2020 and as such, the application will also seek to retain the footpath connecting the nursery and car park until 21 May 2020 to tie in with the temporary nursery consent, beyond the occupation of the Amenities Building.

At the end of the relevant periods the buildings, ancillary development and path will be removed within a period of three months of the uses having relocated. The land will be grassed over once the buildings are taken down.

This letter has been sent to inform you that an application for the temporary retention of the buildings is due to be submitted to Oxford City Council in the near future. There will be an opportunity for you to submit feedback on the planning application via Oxford City Council’s website at http://public.oxford.gov.uk/online-applications/ upon submission of the application. If you have any queries regarding this proposal in the meantime please contact public.consultation@admin.ox.ac.uk.

Queen Street consultation

The County Council’s consultation on the traffic regulation orders and new zebra crossings in Queen Street can be found here

Oxfordshire County Council proposes to improve the Queen Street area in central Oxford by:

  • Prohibiting buses from accessing and driving through it. This would in effect make the street – similar to Cornmarket,
  • Permitting cyclists to travel along Queen Street in both directions at all times of day, for a trial period of 18 months. Currently cycling is banned between 10am and 6pm,
  • No changes are proposed to access for delivery vehicles, which would continue to be permitted between 6pm and 10am,
  • Taxis would continue to utilise the existing rank at Carfax, but with slightly different access arrangements and with changes to the operational hours of the rank. Proposals are for access to be from High Street/St Aldates end only and turning at a point adjacent to the Clarendon Centre. Permitted hours for this arrangement are proposed as 9pm to 6am and again this will be on a trial period of 18 months.
  • A new junction arrangement (replacing the traffic signals with a mini roundabout) at Worcester Street/Park End Street to facilitate the proposed changes by allowing buses to easily turn.

More consultation documents are available on the above web page which address the provision of alternative arrangements for pedal-cycles, buses, taxis, and private hire vehicles

As detailed on the notice, any objections or other representations on the proposal should be submitted by Friday 14th October 2016.