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ITEM EX14
EXECUTIVE
– 20 APRIL 2004
DETACHED
PLAYING FIELD AT BARTHOLOMEW SCHOOL, EYNSHAM
Report by
Head of Property
Background
- The County Council
owns about 3.5 hectares of land on the western edge of Eynsham (shown
outlined in black and dotted on the attached plan) which is used as
a detached playing field for Bartholomew School. Approximately a hectare
of this land is surplus to the school’s requirements. In 2001 the Council
was approached by agents acting on behalf of a housing developer who
had secured an option to purchase nearly 7 hectares of land (shown hatched
on the plan) to the south of and adjoining the Council’s land. At that
time the agents proposed that the developer and the County Council should
jointly pursue the allocation of both pieces of land for housing development
through the local plan process.
(Plan - download as .doc file).
- The agents also
put forward alternative proposals that the Bartholomew School main site
should be developed for housing and the school replaced on the land
referred to above, and a further proposal that the primary school should
also be relocated. On 11 October 2001 the then Operations Sub-Committee
resolved that the County Council should not put forward or support any
proposals for allocation of its land for housing and should not make
representations on any proposals that were made. The Chief Education
Officer at the time concluded that the replacement of Bartholomew School
was not a priority for the Local Education Authority.
- The agents did
submit representations on the first and second drafts of the West Oxfordshire
Local Plan (without the support of the County Council) but the District
Council decided not to allocate the land. The next stage of the Local
Plan process is a public inquiry which will commence in June 2004.
Current
Position
- The developer’s
agents have again approached the County Council to seek their support
at the public inquiry. It was agreed by the Capital Programme and Asset
Management Steering Group in March 2004 that the proposals should be
re-considered as part of the Review of Property Assets.
- The conclusion
of this re-consideration is that the agents’ proposal to pursue allocation
of the detached playing field (and adjoining land) for housing development
should be supported as an allocation would secure a substantial capital
receipt for the land, some of which is surplus to requirements. The
school governors would need to be formally consulted (there has been
informal consultation via the Headteacher already) and the consent of
the DfES and Sport England would be needed. The developer would need
to ensure that adequate sports facilities for the school were provided.
The County Council controls the main access to all of the land being
put forward for allocation, which would enhance the capital receipt.
The Council’s support would allow the agent to demonstrate that a suitable
access to the land could be provided. However it would not commit the
County Council to any formal agreement or to selling the land. It is
proposed that the Council’s support would be in the form of a letter
to the owner’s agent. It would not be necessary for the Council to appear
at the inquiry.
- It is recommended
that the developer’s proposals to relocate the secondary and primary
schools should not be supported as they are not Education priorities
and the financial viability of these proposals is likely to be marginal.
Discussion has taken place with the Headteacher of Bartholomew School.
Although there has been no formal decision by the school the Headteacher’s
view was that it would be sensible to support proposals for an allocation
of the detached playing field, subject to appropriate replacement sports
facilities being provided.
- Consultations
have been carried out internally with Environment & Economy which
have confirmed that the there is no conflict with Structure Plan or
transport policies.
RECOMMENDATION
- The Executive
is RECOMMENDED:
- to support
the proposal to pursue an allocation for housing development on the
land at west Eynsham (as shown on the plan attached to the report)
through the local plan process, subject to consultation with the Bartholomew
School governors, the DfES and Sport England and to the proposals
demonstrating that satisfactory or improved sporting facilities can
be provided;
- not to support
the proposals to relocate the secondary and primary schools.
NEIL
MONAGHAN
Head of Property
Background
paper: Nil
Contact
Officer: Neil Monaghan, Head of Property Tel: (01865) 815712
April
2004
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