Oliver Holmes
Photo: Ipswich

Ipswich planning committee

Councillor Oliver Holmes

Member, Planning & Development Committee

Seen at planning committee from June 2025 to September 2026

  • 100%attendance
  • 16agreed, no vote against recorded
  • 32decisions at their meetings

Councillor's page on the council's website

As at 23 September 2026, according to Plota’s analysis of Ipswich’s published minutes, Councillor Oliver Holmes attended 14 of the 14 planning committee meetings whose minutes list them, from June 2025 to September 2026. On 16 other decisions the minutes record no vote against, so Holmes is counted as agreeing; they are left out of the shares below.

Meetings attended
14 of 14100%
Meetings whose minutes list them as present, sending apologies or absent. Minutes that list only those present cannot show an absence.
Decisions at their meetings
32
Applications decided at the meetings they sat on, as the minutes record them.
Agreed, no vote against recorded
16
Decisions the minutes record with no vote against and no count. Counted as agreeing, and left out of the shares.
Declared interests
0
Decisions on which the minutes record them declaring an interest.

Voting record

The minutes we hold do not give each member's vote at these meetings, so no vote is counted for Holmes and no voting chart is drawn.

Attendance

100%

14 of 14 meetings whose minutes list them.

The typical member of this committee attended 100% (the median of 14 members listed at 5 or more meetings).

Every meeting

Each square is a meeting whose minutes list them, oldest first.

Present
20252026

Planning & Development Committee: 14 meetings

Show as a table
Every meeting
DateCommitteeAttendance
23 Sep 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
29 Jul 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
1 Jul 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
3 Jun 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
29 Apr 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
4 Mar 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
4 Feb 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
7 Jan 2026Planning & Development CommitteePresent
10 Dec 2025Planning & Development CommitteePresent
12 Nov 2025Planning & Development CommitteePresent
15 Oct 2025Planning & Development CommitteePresent
20 Aug 2025Planning & Development CommitteePresent
23 Jul 2025Planning & Development CommitteePresent
25 Jun 2025Planning & Development CommitteePresent

Decisions

Every application decided at a meeting they sat on, newest first, with their vote where the minutes give it.

Show
Their vote
Outcome

In the minutes

What the minutes record Holmes moving, seconding, asking or saying on each decision, in the minutes’ own words. Passages that name more than one councillor, or a member of the public, are left out.

Subjects in what the minutes record

  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that fewer than 250 licensed HMOs existed within approximately 31,000 homes in Ipswich; this equated to around 1,000 residents living in HMOs out of a population of roughly 140,000, and therefore represented a relatively small percentage of the population.”
    Minutes, 23 Sep 2026, 1A Sherrington Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that the Article 4 Direction was therefore of limited relevance to the determination of this application other than acknowledging that the area had been identified as having an over-concentration of HMOs.”
    Minutes, 23 Sep 2026, 1A Sherrington Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Moved the motion
    “Councillor Holmes proposed the recommendations as set out in the report, but there was no seconder.”
    Minutes, 23 Sep 2026, 1A Sherrington Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that the Senior Planning Officer had addressed concerns within the report relating to this large, busy site.”
    Minutes, 29 Jul 2026, 23 - 27 Woodbridge Road East Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Holmes asked whether the demolition of 345 Colchester Road represented a change of use from residential to commercial, and if it should have been included in the description.”
    Minutes, 29 Jul 2026, 23 - 27 Woodbridge Road East Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Holmes sought clarification regarding the lawful fallback position and commented that there was a high probability that works had already commenced.”
    Minutes, 1 Jul 2026, 284 Felixstowe Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that if the fallback position was engaged, the baseline for consideration was effectively a one-bedroom increase from 6 to 7 occupants.”
    Minutes, 1 Jul 2026, 284 Felixstowe Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that there was no specific use class category for aparthotels and questioned whether Use Class C1 was appropriate as there was nothing to restrict its use as service accommodation and this was not intended as residential accommodation.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, Unit 1 The Winerack Key Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked about the conditions
    “Councillor Holmes asked whether the sole/main residence element of condition 10 was enforceable, i.e. would need to check if guests had residence in other parts of the country, and suggested restricting the continuous length of stay to 30 days in a defined period.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, Unit 1 The Winerack Key Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that 90-day stays would not be desirable in this location.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, Unit 1 The Winerack Key Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Moved the motion
    “Councillor Holmes proposed that the maximum length of stay in condition 10 be reduced to 30 days, but this amendment was lost.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, Unit 1 The Winerack Key Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on affordable housing
    “Councillor Holmes commented that HMOs were a legitimate form of housing these days, especially as few young people could afford to buy or rent accommodation or qualify for social housing, and the Council’s Local Plan supported different types of tenure in its policies, including HMOs.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, 131 St Helens Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on neighbours' amenity
    “Councillor Holmes noted that whilst the development failed the HMO concentration test DM20 (iii), an exemption could be considered provided that the change of use would not harm the amenity of the local area.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, 131 St Helens Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on design and scale
    “Councillor Holmes added that renovating these rat-infested, half burnt down buildings would greatly enhance the local area; the Conservation & Urban Design Officer had commented that the proposed works would enhance the street frontage and improve the character and appearance of the St Helens Conservation Area.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, 131 St Helens Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on parking
    “Councillor Holmes commented that parking was an issue on other similar routes into the town centre and was at a premium, which was to be expected in town centres.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, 131 St Helens Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked about the conditions
    “Councillor Holmes asked whether the requirement for a manager on site was a reasonable condition to apply as the premises would then be operated more as a hostel than an HMO, and asked whether the concerns raised could be addressed through the HMO Licensing System.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, 131 St Helens Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that it was disappointing that the scheme proposed in the previous year had not been progressed and added that the boundary wall should be removed.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, St Peters Dock Car Park St Peters Wharf Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on parking
    “Councillor Holmes highlighted that the car park was in a poor state of repair and commented that the reference in the planning balance to not undertaking works as it would be a wasteful use of public money was not a material consideration as other applicants for temporary car parks could make the same argument.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, St Peters Dock Car Park St Peters Wharf Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes commented that there was little detail provided about the community use areas, and asked whether these areas should be more strictly defined as Use Class F2 with no permitted development rights to control the future use of these areas.”
    Minutes, 3 Jun 2026, 45 Tavern Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes noted that the application did not include the second-floor area, and asked whether approving this application would prejudice any future use of that floor.”
    Minutes, 29 Apr 2026, 3A Westgate Street Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes noted that the mast had been installed before the housing development, but this was not significant as a new mast was being installed that would be nearly 30m tall.”
    Minutes, 29 Apr 2026, MMO2 Site 5660 Rear Of 6 Kiln Close Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Holmes noted that the Site Wide Strategy required a certain amount of open space to be provided on the school site.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Land North Of Railway And East Of Henley Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Holmes sought clarification that this would mean passing on the requirement for more public open space to other developers in the later phases.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Land North Of Railway And East Of Henley Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on parking
    “Councillor Holmes commented that compared to the previously approved application, where the padel use was sited closer to Henley Road, this application would have far less impact on those residents, and the car park would provide a buffer to Henley Road.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Ipswich Sports Club Henley Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on parking
    “Councillor Holmes commented that the proposal for a car wash would deliver a considerable public benefit to the Community Centre, and noted that the School and Community Centre operated as separate planning sites, and therefore, the Community Centre was entitled to seek the best planning decision for its site.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Murrayside Youth And Community Centre Nacton Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on highway safety
    “Councillor Holmes noted that this was a busy site; however, the Highways Authority had carefully considered the proposal, and Planning Officers had worked closely with the applicant to consider the issues that were raised by the School and had dealt with them in a reasonable way.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Murrayside Youth And Community Centre Nacton Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Moved the motion
    “Councillor Holmes proposed the recommendations in the report, but the motion was lost.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Murrayside Youth And Community Centre Nacton Road Ipswich Suffolk
  • Spoke on design and scale
    “Councillor Holmes noted that the front garden appeared elevated, with the bins currently being stored on the pavement, and questioned whether the height of the front garden might need to be reduced to enable the bins to be moved more easily.”
    Minutes, 4 Feb 2026, 95 Grove Lane Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked about the conditions
    “Councillor Holmes asked whether the Management Plan included conditions with regards to litter control and whether daily inspections would be undertaken.”
    Minutes, 7 Jan 2026, Park Grounds Christchurch Park Ipswich Suffolk
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Holmes asked what items would be sold at the kiosk, and whether the proposal included outdoor seating.”
    Minutes, 7 Jan 2026, Park Grounds Christchurch Park Ipswich Suffolk

The 30 most recent of 43 are shown.

How this is worked out

Everything here is read from Ipswich’s published planning committee minutes, 15 meetings from June 2025 to September 2026. A councillor is matched across meetings by the council’s own member number where it has one, otherwise by full name.

Each vote shows how it is known. Named in the minutes: the minutes, or the council’s own recorded vote, list each member with their vote. From the count and the names: the minutes give the numbers and name the members in the minority, and every member present is known. All members present in favour: the minutes say every member voted for it and the members present are known. No vote against recorded: the minutes record the decision with no vote against, no abstention and no count, at a council whose minutes print a divided vote when there is one, so each member present is counted for. Unanimous vote: the minutes call the decision unanimous, or give a count with no one against and no one abstaining, and each member present is counted for. From the meeting recording: the vote was heard on the council’s recording of the meeting and closes exactly with the members present. Where none of these holds, the vote is left as “Not recorded” and is not counted.

Votes are on the resolution the committee passed, so a vote for is a vote with the majority. A vote is a decision on the application in front of the committee, not a statement of the councillor’s views. A percentage is shown only with five or more votes, decisions or meetings behind it.

Source: Plota analysis of the council’s minutes. The party is from the council’s own list of councillors.

Also on this committee

All Ipswich committee councillors