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ITEM PN6
PLANNING & REGULATION COMMITTEE – 20 JULY 2009
DETAILS PURSUANT TO CONDITION 6 OF PERMISSION NO C.11/04 FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A FLOODLIT MULTI-USE GAMES AREA; AT BLESSED GEORGE NAPIER SCHOOL, ADDISON ROAD, BANBURY
Report by Head of Sustainable Development
Application No: C.11/04
District Council Area: Cherwell
Introduction
1. Planning permission was granted in July 2004 for the construction of a floodlit all weather multi-use games area (MUGA) to the rear of the existing school buildings at Blessed George Napier School in Banbury. Condition 6 of the permission requires that details of a scheme for improvements to the Springfield Avenue entrance shall be submitted to and approved by the Head of Sustainable Development.
2. The Springfield Avenue entrance is currently used as a pedestrian way with access for emergency vehicles only. This proposal seeks consent to use this entrance for vehicles during out of school periods. It is proposed that visitors to the school to use the MUGA, other sports facilities, or even to attend evening events, would still use the main entrance to the school along Addison Road to access the site, but they would leave via the Springfield Avenue access, in effect creating a one-way system.
Site (see plan) (download as .doc file)
3. Blessed George Napier School is located on the southern side of Banbury about 400 metres to the west of the A4260, the main road into the town from the south. The town centre is about 1.5 km to the north.
4. The school itself is bounded by residential development to the north and east with sports fields to the south. Immediately to the west are the sports fields of Banbury School. The main vehicular entrance to the site is along Addison Road from the east. A secondary access, from Springfield Avenue, enters the school site in its northern corner.
History and Details of the Development
5. Planning permission for a sports hall, for both school and community use, was granted in April 2004. This was followed shortly after by the granting of consent for the MUGA, again for both school and community use. In granting consent for the sports hall development, a condition was attached to that permission requiring a travel plan to be drawn up and implemented to address traffic concerns of local residents. As part of the MUGA consent a condition was imposed introducing use of the Springfield Avenue entrance as a means of alleviating traffic congestion in Addison Road.
6. As the two facilities have become more and more popular, so additional traffic has been generated to the site, particularly in the evenings and at weekends. As a result, since mid 2007 the residents of Addison Road have been talking to the school relating to the traffic problems they have been experiencing and have requested that the school undertake improvements to the Springfield Avenue access to ‘spread the load’ in terms of traffic to and from the site (and as required by Condition 6 of the MUGA planning permission).
7. The school have therefore come forward with the current proposal. In their supporting statement the school have explained the proposal as follows:
“The Springfield Avenue pedestrian access has gates at either end and is only used at the start and finish of the school day to access the coaches that bring the children to school. Outside of these times the gates are kept locked. The school proposes to introduce the following amendments to the traffic flow system for users of the MUGA;
· from 4.30 pm till 10.00 pm a one-way traffic flow system will be operated. This will allow vehicles to enter the school premises via Addison Road and exit via Springfield Avenue; · the route and operating times will be clearly signed; · the gates on the Springfield Avenue driveway will be kept locked shut outside of these hours; · new gates will be installed to allow vehicles to exit from the school playground on the Springfield Avenue access. The access is suitable for one-way vehicle flow and no other amendments are required to allow vehicles to exit safely onto Springfield Avenue.
Consultation Responses (21 consultation period expired)
8. Cherwell District Council – no response at the time of drafting the report.
Banbury Town Council – no objections.
Transport Development Control – no objections but clear signage of new arrangement will be required.
Third Party Representations
9. Four responses have been received from residents on Springfield Avenue objecting to this proposal for the following reasons:
(a) conflict between pedestrians and vehicles using this entrance; (b) noise from vehicles passing close to houses; (c) already experience disturbance during the day as school buses park along Springfield Avenue, this proposal will extend disruption into the evenings and weekends; (d) there is already congestion in Springfield Avenue with residents parking, the proposal will add to it; (e) suggest removing grass verges in Addison Road to allow room for residents parking and two lanes of traffic.
10. A letter has been received from a resident of Addison Road, acting on behalf of the Addison Road Residents, objecting to the proposal on the following grounds:
(a) Springfield Avenue access should be opened up to vehicular use for evenings and weekend use; (b) one way system will result in security problems for both school and residents; (c) proposal will not solve parking and access problems in Addison Road which causes problems for service traffic and emergency vehicle access; (d) request that school close access to the school from Addison Road between 4.30-10.00 pm weekdays and totally during the weekend.
11. Following receipt of these objections, a meeting has been held with the school, governors, local residents, local member and your planning and highways officers to discuss these concerns regarding access to the site at out of school periods. All parties were able to put forward their views and the meeting was successful and well received. As a result it was decided that a 6 month trial of the one-way system proposed (with appropriate signage and management by the school) would be a step forward. It was also decided that it would be a good idea to set up a Liaison Committee between the school and local residents which would meet at regular intervals to discuss issues of mutual interest. A further response has since been received from Addison Road residents confirming their agreement to the above course of action.
Relevant Development Plan Policies
12. Regional Spatial Strategy for SE England:
Policy CC6 – Use of land should actively promote creation of sustainable and distinctive communities. To be achieved by developing a shared vision which respects character and distinctiveness of settlements and promotes a sense of place. To include consideration of accessibility, social inclusion and needs for environmentally sensitive development and crime reduction.
Policy BE1 – New developments to provide significant improvements to the built environment. Amongst other things, support partnerships with local community to establish innovative management arrangements for town centres, business parks and residential neighbourhoods.
Policy T1 – Proposals should include measures to minimise negative environmental impacts of transport and where possible, enhance the environment and communities through such interventions.
13. Non Statutory Cherwell Local Plan 2011
Policy TR4 – Appropriate transport and highway mitigation measures to be incorporated into developments.
Policy TR5 – Developments should minimise conflict between vehicles and pedestrians and should not compromise safe movement and free flow of traffic or safe use of roads by others.
Policy R6 – Proposals for sporting and recreational facilities to be permitted provided they are in readily accessible locations, do not significantly impact on residential amenity and are not visually intrusive.
Policy EN1 – Development having an unacceptable environmental impact will not be permitted.
Comments of the Head of Sustainable Development
14. The main issues in this case are whether the proposal satisfies the intentions behind Condition 6 of the planning permission for the MUGA and whether the concerns of local residents in relation to traffic generation and parking at this school arising from this development (i.e. the construction of the MUGA) can be addressed.
15. As is the case with a number of schools across the country, access to this school is restricted and parking is a constant problem. The construction of the sports hall and subsequently the MUGA, have exacerbated the problem as the facilities have become increasingly popular and used by the wider community.
16. Addison Road has always been the main entrance way to the school and also serves as the access to a local sports club. It measures approximately 4.5 m wide and has a grass verge and footpath down either side. Residents often park their cars on the road. On street parking does cause congestion, particularly at the beginning and end of the school day. There is limited parking within the school site for staff.
17. School buses park in Springfield Avenue and pupils use the Springfield Avenue entrance to access the school on foot. Activity here is concentrated around the start and finish of the school day. Management of the vehicular movements to and from the school during the school day is the responsibility of the school and its endeavours via its Travel Plan.
18. Condition No. 6 on the MUGA consent relating to the out of hours use of the Springfield Avenue access was attached to try and relieve some of the highway and parking problems in the locality, but especially along Addison Road. Objections to the proposed one way system, however, have been received from residents of both Addison Road and Springfield Avenue. They both experience problems at the beginning and end of the school day – Addison Road being the main vehicular route into the school and Springfield Avenue being the location where the school buses gather, but the problems along Addison Road also extend into the evening given the use of the school site for community based activities.
19. Retaining Addison Road as the sole point of entry and exit at out of school hours would mean the residents having to put up with the disruption traffic movements cause into the evenings and weekends. Similarly, making the Springfield Avenue access the only way in and out would add to any disturbance they have to endure. It is difficult to see an easy solution to the parking and access problems at this school that would satisfy the residents of both Addison Road and Springfield Avenue. However, following the recent meeting with local residents at the school providing a one-way solution, seems a reasonable way of spreading the impact of visitors to the school between the two entrances into the site during periods when the school is being used for community purposes. Transport Development Control have no objections to this arrangement provided it is properly managed and signposted within the site. I recommend that the one-way proposal should be trialled for a temporary period of 6 months to see how it operates and allow time for any problems that arise to be addressed. Also I recommend that a Liaison Group is set up by the School with local residents to enable issues of mutual concern to be dealt with.
RECOMMENDATION
20. It is RECOMMENDED that the application for the Details Pursuant to Condition 6 of Permission No. C.11/04 (for the installation of a floodlit multi-use games area at Blessed George Napier School, Banbury) be approved, subject to the following provisos:
(a) that the new one-way system for parking and traffic arrangements for out of school use hereby approved shall be implemented initially for a 6 month period only from the date of this permission;
(b) that the school shall establish a Liaison Group with local residents to meet at regular intervals to discuss matters of mutual benefit and concern;
(c) that on completion of the 6 month trial, the Liaison Group shall meet to review how the one-way system has operated and agree any improvements if required;
(d) that details of a scheme for signage within the school site (to include the size, type and location of any signs) to advertise the new parking and traffic arrangements for out of school use (after 5.00 pm during the week), shall be submitted for approval in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development within 2 weeks of the date of this permission. Any scheme approved shall be implemented within one month of that approval.
CHRIS COUSINS Head of Sustainable Development Environment & Economy
Background Papers: File No. C.11/04 held in Environment & Economy at Speedwell House, Oxford
July 2009
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