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Division affected: Grove

ITEM PN5

PLANNING & REGULATION COMMITTEE –
4 APRIL 2005

COUNTY COUNCIL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Development proposed:

ERECTION OF A SINGLE STOREY TEMPORARY CLASSROOM UNIT FOR A TEMPORARY PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS

Location: GROVE CE PRIMARY SCHOOL, NORTH STREET, GROVE, WANTAGE

Application No: V.02/05 District Council Area: Vale of White Horse

Introduction

  1. This application is for the siting of a temporary classroom to house Foundation Stage (4 year old) pupils at this school. The unit would be placed near an existing playgroup building and benefit from use of a treed area of the playground as the play area. It would enable a previously unused area of the site to be brought into use which currently cannot be adequately supervised by the school.

    2. Location (see plan attached) (download as .doc file)

  2. The site is located on the northern edge of Grove.

    3. Relevant Site Features

  3. The site is on the edge of a residential area with housing to the east and south. There is open countryside to the north and west with a screen hedge along the western boundary and small groups of trees at the northern end of the site. There is a chain link fence on the north eastern boundary which abuts North Drive. There is an existing playgroup building and canopy located alongside this boundary.

    4. Relevant Planning Policies

  4. See Annex 1.

    5. Consultations

  5. Vale of White Horse District Council - response not yet received.

    6. Grove Parish Council – no objection but sewerage system should be confirmed as satisfactory before development takes place.

    Sport England – no objection.

    Archaeology – no objection but add archaeological informative.

    Thames Water – no objection subject to separation of surface water and foul water.

    Third Party Representations

  6. A petition with seven signatures has been received from residents of North Drive in which they indicate that they have no objection in principle to the development but:

    • are very concerned that the existing sewerage system is already inadequate, and the new building will only add to drainage problems; and

    • the new building should be located between the existing Playgroup and the main School building rather than as proposed.

Comments of the Head of Sustainable Development

  1. The unit is of a standard design for a temporary building but with a pitched roof and would therefore be more in keeping with the existing housing than the existing playground temporary unit. It is screened from the open countryside to the north and west by the boundary hedge and trees and from the housing on North Drive by the existing temporary unit and its linked canopy.

  2. Whilst having no objection in principle to the proposal neighbours have raised concerns about the ability of the local drainage network to deal with the extra load generated by the new development. Thames Water have been consulted and have confirmed that they have no objection to the application but suggest that surface water and foul water from the new building are kept separate. I therefore suggest that a condition be attached to any permission granted which requires the on-site sewerage infrastructure to be checked to ensure that it can handle the additional load to be placed by the proposed unit and that the subsequent drainage details be agreed before the unit is brought onto the site.

  3. No felling or lopping of trees is proposed as part of the development and it should not impinge upon those nearby. The group of trees immediately to the north of the proposal is important to the amenity of the site and local area and a condition can be attached to ensure that they are adequately protected during construction works.

  4. The position of the proposed unit has been chosen so that the area with the trees can be used as a play area for the foundation stage children. Siting the unit between the existing playgroup building and the main school would make this much more difficult and would also use up more of the school’s grassed play area. It is my view that the site of the new building is acceptable, particularly as it would be well screened by the existing temporary building on site.

    5. Conclusion

  5. The proposed development should have no significant impact on the visual amenity of the area. Concerns over drainage can be overcome by the imposition of a condition which requires drainage details to be agreed before the development commences.

    6. RECOMMENDATIONS

  6. The Committee is RECOMMENDED subject to the consideration of any outstanding comments received by the date of the meeting that Application No. V.02/05 be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Director for Environment & Economy but to include:

                  1. Detailed compliance.

                  2. Temporary period of 5 years.

                  3. Drainage details to be submitted and approved prior to commencement of the development.

                  4. Tree protection measures during construction period to be agreed.

                  5. Colour of unit to be agreed prior to development commencing.

Note: Archaeological Informative.

CHRIS COUSINS
Head of Sustainable Development

Contact Officer: Kevin Broughton Tel: Oxford 810431

7 March 2005

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