Contact Officer: Alan Divall Tel: Oxford 815886
ITEM PN12
PLANNING & REGULATION COMMITTEE – 21 JULY 2008
DEMOLITION OF EXISTING TEMPORARY CLASSROOM AND ERECTION OF A NEW BUILDING TO PROVIDE: A NEW SCHOOL HALL, IT ROOM, KITCHEN, STORAGE, CLOAKS AND TOILET ACCOMODATION AND OTHER ASSOCIATED EXTERNAL WORKS. INTERNAL ALTERATIONS TO CHANGE EXISTING HALL TO NEW CLASSROOM
Report by Head of Sustainable Development
Location: Launton CE Primary School, Bicester Road, Launton, Bicester, OX26 5DP.
Application No: C.06/08
District Council Area: Cherwell
Introduction
1. This application is for the erection of a new building to provide a new school hall, IT room, kitchen, storage, cloaks and toilet accommodation at Launton CE Primary School. The proposal also involves alterations to the existing school hall to create a new classroom. The temporary building currently on the site will be demolished and removed as part of the works.
Location (see site plan) (download as .doc file)
2. The village of Launton is located some 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometres) to the east of Bicester and close to the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border. The school is located off Bicester Road which is the main road through the village.
Site and Setting (see site plan)
3. The existing school site is located north of Bicester Road in the centre of the village. The site comprises three permanent buildings and one temporary building, with hard playground areas to the north and west of the school buildings. The school’s playing field is located to the north west of the main school site, there is also a privately run playgroup located to the north.
4. The nearest residential properties are located immediately to the north and east of the site, there are also residential properties opposite the school to the south of Bicester Road. Immediately adjacent to the site to the west is the village church hall and a car parking area. Although not listed the original school buildings are Victorian and are of attractive appearance. The temporary building was originally granted planning permission in 1991.
5. The main vehicular access is to the west of the site off Bicester Road, the access route also goes to the school playing field and the pre-school site. The school’s car park is adjacent to the church hall and is currently shared between the two. The pedestrian access to the site is currently at the front of the main school buildings off Bicester Road.
Background and Details of the Development
6. The aim of the proposal is to create improvements to the existing accommodation at the school and not to increase pupil numbers.
7. The existing temporary classroom is in poor condition, undersized for the 30 Key Stage 2 pupils who currently use it and has inadequate lighting and ventilation. The school hall is at present located within the main school building but is of a size considered inadequate for a primary school. The school currently use the neighbouring church hall for various activities, including physical education. Although it is of reasonable size it is used by different village groups during the day and evening and PE equipment has to be carried between the two sites.
8. The proposed building will improve accommodation for pupils by converting the school hall to a classroom; it will provide an on-site hall facility for a full range of PE activities and whole school assembly and also provide dedicated IT facilities.
9. The new building has been designed and positioned to integrate with the existing school buildings immediately adjacent. The new building would be split into two parts, one to accommodate the new hall, kitchen and hall areas and the other to accommodate IT facilities. Its design is similar to that of the existing school buildings, including steep pitched roofs. The materials will include facing masonry to match the texture and colour of the existing buildings. The building has been designed to achieve a BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘very good’.
10. The temporary classroom on the site would be removed once the building works have been completed; the area that it occupies would be used to extend the hard play area. The proposal involves the removal of five existing trees on the site. After pre-application consultation with the County Forester the school are proposing to replace three trees but it is not possible to replace all the trees due to space constraints on the site.
Consultations
11. The 21 day consultation period expired on 16 June 2008.
Cherwell District Council – No objection. A condition relating to materials should be attached to ensure the proposed building is in harmony with the materials on the existing buildings.
Launton Parish Council – No objection but would make the following observations. The drainage at the site is currently inadequate and any building will adversely affect the situation, this should be rectified with the current application. Car parking at the site is also inadequate and any increased use, particularly out of school time will make the situation worse.
Sport England – No objection.
Environment Agency – Low environmental risk therefore no objection.
Transport Development Control – No objection. The proposed building is unlikely to have any highway safety implications as the school have an approved Travel Plan and there is no increase in pupil numbers or alterations to the entrances/car parks.
County Ecologist – Recommends that an emergence/return to roost bat survey is carried out as the temporary classroom will be demolished together with an adjacent large tree. Bats have been seen flying in the area and there are records of Pipistrelle bats 150m to the west. Vegetation removal should not be carried out during the bird breeding season (March to August), any removal of vegetation before September would need to be checked by an ecologist first.
County Forester – No objection but makes the following comments. Constructing the proposed building would result in the loss of a number of trees, although only one of these is of any great landscape value. A similar number of trees will be lost wherever a building of this size is located on the site. It will be necessary to protect the retained trees on the site (including those in the grounds of the next door playgroup) during the construction works. Replacing trees as shown in the original application would be inappropriate given the overhead cables.
County Archaeologist – The building lies within an area of archaeological interest but given the small-scale nature of the proposals request only an archaeological informative to be attached.
Third Party Representations (A copy of this letter is available in the Member’s Resource Centre)
12. One letter of objection has been received from two local residents. The objectors understand the need for the school to be extended but they have raised a number of concerns:
· The new building will be too close to the road and our property and as a result the windows will look directly into our living room and bedroom. · The extension is too large and too high and will block out natural light to our cottage. · The new building should be positioned behind the existing school and should be much smaller. · The school traffic turning in and out of the car park onto Bicester Road is already dangerous.
Relevant Development Plan and other Policies (summarised)
13. Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2016 (OSP)
G2 – All development to be of a scale and type appropriate to the site and its surroundings and not cause harm to the character and amenities of the area.
G3 – The provision of recreation, leisure, educational, health and community facilities will be encouraged where there are deficiencies.
T1 – Transport measures and development proposals should give emphasis to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport and balance these against ease of traffic movement, thereby improving travel choice and reducing dependence of private motorised travel.
EN2 – Local planning authorities will seek environmental measures and promote the use of conditions to help protect priority species.
EN9 – New development should not lead to an increase in run-off. The use of sustainable drainage systems to regulate run-off will be required as part of development proposals.
Cherwell Local Plan 1996 (CLP)
C28 – Control will be exercised over all new development to ensure that the standards of layout, design and external appearance, including the choice of external finish/materials are sympathetic to the character of the urban or rural context of the development.
The Non-Statutory Cherwell Local Plan 2011 (NSCLP)
EN1 - Development which would have an unacceptable environmental impact (on the natural and built environment) will not be permitted.
EN15 – New development generating increased surface water run off will not be permitted unless the proposals include appropriate source control and/or attenuation measures.
EN23 – Before determining an application which may affect a known or potential site of nature conservation value, applicants will be required to submit an ecological survey.
Comments of the Head of Sustainable Development
14. In my view the main issues to be considered with this application relate to:
(i) Impact on neighbouring properties; (ii) Traffic and car parking; (iii) Drainage; (iv) Ecology; (v) Impact on trees.
(i) Impact on Neighbouring Properties
15. Concern has been raised from neighbouring residents that the proposed building would impact on their property due its positioning and size. The objectors house is opposite the proposed location for the new hall on the other side of Bicester Road, their property is approximately 20 metres from the front elevation of the proposed building. The new building has been located no further forward than the existing building line on the north side of Bicester Road. It has also been positioned to avoid no overall loss in hard play area at both the front and rear of the school site.
16. By their very nature buildings for school halls are relatively tall; this building would be no taller than the existing buildings and has been designed to match the existing Victorian architecture, including a steep pitched roof. Although there are windows at the front of the building these have been kept to the minimum size to allow sufficient light into the building.
17. I consider that the scale of the building is appropriate given the existing building heights. Its position should not have a detrimental affect on neighbouring properties given the distance between them.
(ii) Traffic and Car Parking
18. Comments have been received relating to traffic problems on the site, including inadequate car parking for out of hours use. Transport Development Control has raised no objection to the proposal in terms of highway implications, particularly given that the proposal will not lead to an increase in pupil numbers, they have also confirmed that the school has an up to date Travel Plan. The school has confirmed that there are currently no firm proposals in place for use of the hall by the community and any use will be occasional as the neighbouring church hall will continue to be used for the majority of community events in the village. An informative could be attached to any permission given advising the school that should they wish to use the hall for regular community use a separate planning application may be required. Given this I do not consider that the proposal raises any significant transport implications.
(iii) Drainage
19. Launton Parish Council have commented that the application will increase current problems with drainage at the site. The project architect has confirmed that the school site suffers from some current drainage problems and they would be happy to incorporate a drainage scheme into the proposal that seeks to address the current issues. To ensure that this occurs, a condition can be attached to any permission given requiring details of a sustainable drainage scheme for the site to be submitted and agreed before any works commence.
(iv) Ecology
20. The County Ecologist has recommended that a bat survey is carried out as the temporary classroom that will be demolished and the removal of an adjoining tree could both be potential bat habitats. The architect dealing with the application has commissioned an initial bat survey. The results of this survey were not available at the time of drafting this report but should be available shortly. Its findings will be reported to the Committee.
(v) Impact on Trees
21. The proposal involves the removal of five trees on the site. Discussions between the school and the County Forester took place at the pre-application stage and it was agreed that because of the limited space restrictions on the site only three of these could be replaced. However, in his response to the application the County Forester has commented that the replacement tree planting as shown on the application would be inappropriate in the location proposed because of the presence of overhead electric cables. Given these concerns it would be appropriate to attach a condition requiring a replacement tree planting scheme to be submitted and agreed (in consultation with the County Forester) before any works on site commence. A condition could also be attached requiring tree protection measures to be put in place for trees that are to be retained on the site.
Conclusion
22. I consider that the proposed development is acceptable in planning terms in its proposed location and that the comments from Launton Parish and neighbouring residents can be addressed by the attachment of appropriate conditions. Importantly the development will allow for the replacement of a substandard temporary building with permanent accommodation and will secure the provision of a new school hall built to modern standards.
RECOMMENDATION
23. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve Application Number C.06/08 for the demolition of existing temporary classroom and erection of a new building to provide: a new school hall, IT room, kitchen, storage, cloaks and toilet accommodation and other associated external works and for internal alterations to change existing hall to new classroom at Launton Primary School, subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development to include the following matters:
(1) Detailed compliance – that the development must be carried out strictly in accordance with the particulars contained in the application and the plans accompanying. (2) Detailed duration – 3 years – that the development shall commence within 3 years of the date of the permission. (3) Approval of external materials – that samples of the external materials proposed to be used shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development prior to the commencement of development. (4) Tree protection during construction works – that no development shall take place until the trees on the site which are to be retained and which are adjacent to or within the development area, have been protected during building operations by means of a protective fence around the edge of the canopy of the trees. (5) Landscaping – that the site be landscaped and planted with replacement trees in accordance with a comprehensive planting and landscaping scheme to be agreed in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development prior to the commencement of development. (6) Landscaping implementation – that all planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the occupation of the buildings or the completion of the development, whichever is the sooner. (7) Replacement fencing – that the final details (including location) of new fencing on the site should be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development prior to the commencement of development. (8) Drainage – that a detailed scheme for the sustainable management of all foul and surface water drainage shall be prepared and submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development prior to the commencement of development. (9) Vegetation removal – no vegetation removal should take place during the bird breeding season (March-August inclusive). If any trees/and or bushes need to be removed before September they will need to be checked by an ecological consultant immediately prior to removal.
Community use informative – Should the school wish to make a wider community use of the development on a regular basis they are advised to submit a planning application which would go through the usual planning process.
Archaeological informative – If archaeological finds do occur during development, the County Archaeologist shall be notified in order that he may visit the site and advise as necessary.
Ecological informative - If any protected species are found at any point during works, all work should cease immediately. Work should not recommence until a full survey has been carried out, a mitigation strategy prepared and a licence obtained (if necessary) in discussion and agreement with Natural England.
CHRIS COUSINS Head of Sustainable Development
Background Papers: File Ref: C.06/08 8.1/6022/8
July 2008
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