The Planning & Regulation Committee of Oxfordshire Council was scheduled to discuss an application for the determination of conditions for planning permission at Land at Thrupp Farm, Radley, Abingdon. The meeting's agenda also included the minutes of the previous meeting and provisions for petitions and public address.

Land at Thrupp Farm, Radley, Abingdon

The primary item scheduled for discussion was the application for the determination of conditions to which planning permission numbers DD1 and DD2 are to be subject for land at Thrupp Farm, Radley, Abingdon¹. This application relates to the Review of Old Mineral Permissions (ROMP) process, which allows for the review of existing mineral extraction permissions to ensure modern environmental standards are met.

The report pack indicated that the application concerned the extraction of sand and gravel from an area estimated to contain one million tonnes of reserves. The proposed working and restoration programme was detailed, outlining a phased approach over an estimated ten to fifteen years. The applicant, H Tuckwell and Sons Ltd, proposed a set of conditions for the permissions, which were detailed in Annex 1 of the public reports pack.

However, significant concerns were raised by various consultees regarding the potential impacts of the development. The County Ecologist recommended an objection, citing likely biodiversity loss due to the impact on irreplaceable and priority habitats, including lowland fen and wet woodland, and the potential harm to notable and priority species. Natural England also raised concerns about potential hydrological impacts on Culham Brake Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the need for an in-combination air quality assessment. The Environment Agency initially objected due to concerns about flood risk and groundwater quality, although some of these objections were later withdrawn subject to specific conditions.

Several third-party representations, including those from Radley Parish Council, Radley Lakes Trust, Abingdon Naturalists Society, and BBOWT (The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust), also raised objections. Key concerns included the loss of biodiversity, the impact on Orchard Lake (a designated Local Wildlife Site), inadequate mitigation measures, insufficient restoration proposals, traffic on Thrupp Lane, and the need for a formal liaison group.

The report pack also detailed the officer's suggested conditions in Annex 4, which aimed to address the concerns raised by consultees. A key recommendation was to refer the application to the Secretary of State for consideration as to whether to call the application in for their own determination, due to the significant effect identified through the loss of irreplaceable and priority habitats. If the Secretary of State declined to call it in, the Director of Economy and Place would be authorised to determine the conditions, with amendments to provide greater clarity and precision as to the geographical areas to which conditions apply, but without the condition restricting development in areas of irreplaceable and priority habitats.