Agenda item

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (PN5)

 

The report outlines a proposal to construct a single storey building in the grounds of Great Milton C of E School to provide a new Children’s Centre.  The proposal also involves the removal of a temporary classroom building (also used as a community resource area), a detached brick built store and the erection of three extensions to the school to create replacement accommodation for the lost classroom/community resource facility and store, and a reading room.  The site lies within the Oxford Green Belt.  The application has generated much interest locally and responses received from local residents and the Parish and District Councils are included along with other consultees replies.  The comments of the Head of Sustainable Development on the issues raised and the merits of the proposal are also included along with the recommendation on the application.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to authorise the Head of Sustainable Development to grant permission for Application No. R3.0188/09 (for the demolition of a temporary classroom/community resources building and brick built store and the erection of a single storey building to provide a children’s centre, and the erection of extensions to provide replacement classroom and community resources facility, reading room and replacement store, along with associated external works; at Great Milton C of E School) subject to:

 

(a)               the applicant first (before a planning permission is issued) securing and if necessary obtaining planning permission for suitable alternative temporary arrangements for parking for use by the school during the period of construction;

 

(b)              conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development to include the following matters:

 

1.                  That the development must be carried out strictly in accordance with the particulars contained in the application and the plans accompanying subject to conditions below.

2.                  That the development shall commence within 3 years of the date of the permission.

3.                  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.                  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.                  That the site be landscaped and planted with trees (including replacement trees) and shrubs in accordance with a comprehensive planting and landscaping scheme first approved by the Head of Sustainable Development.

6.                  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.                  The hours of operation of the children’s centre for use by the public shall not allow use between 8.00 to 9.15 am and 2.45 to 3.30 pm Monday to Friday during term time.

8.                  The hours of use of the children’s centre at other times (including outside school hours) shall be submitted for agreement by the Head of Sustainable Development before any use of the Centre commences.

9.                  That the high split level windows on the western elevation of the proposed children’s centre building shall be frosted or glazed with obscure glass.

10.             That prior to the commencement of the development full details of any additional proposed lighting, shall be submitted to and approved by the Head of Sustainable Development.

11.             That prior to the first occupation of the children’s centre building the existing school Travel Plan for the site shall be updated and submitted to the Head of Sustainable Development for approval.

12.                         That prior to the commencement of the development details of a sustainable drainage scheme for the proposed site shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development.

13.             Vegetation removal should not take place during the bird breeding season, which is March-August inclusive.  If any trees and/or bushes need to be removed during this time, they will need to be checked over by an ecological consultant immediately prior to removal to ensure there are no nesting birds present.  If nesting birds are present, the vegetation cannot be removed until the birds have fledged.

14.             If any protected species not initially surveyed for are found at any point, all work should cease immediately.  Work should not recommence until a full survey has been carried out, a mitigation strategy prepared and licence obtained (if necessary) in discussion and agreement with Natural England.

15.             The existing pond shall not be removed until a new pond is created in a position to be agreed by the Head of Sustainable Development.

16.             The existing pond shall not be removed except in the months of August, September and October.  The pond shall be drained gradually and the plant material removed from it should be stacked by the side of the pond for at least 24 hours to allow any animals trapped to escape before the vegetation is removed.

17.             Details of the proposals to create habitats for bats in the new buildings shall be submitted for agreement by the Head of Sustainable Development.

18.             If any works are planned to occur later than April 2010, the submitted protected species survey must be updated.

19.             Details of proposals for the formation of 3 additional on site parking spaces shall be submitted and agreed by the Head of Sustainable Development before development commences.

20.             Details of a construction traffic management plan (to include details of times of delivery of materials) shall be submitted and agreed by the Head of Sustainable Development before development commences.

 

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.

The Committee considered (PN5) an application for a single storey Children’s Centre and replacement accommodation at Great Milton CE School.

 

Mr Tyce advised that this represented inappropriate development in the Green Belt and was opposed by CPRE and many local residents.  There was no objection in principle to provision of a Children’s Centre but such provision should be central to the catchment area it served, well served by public transport and not in the green belt. This site did not meet any of those criteria.  Additionally this development would exacerbate the severe traffic congestion which existed in this area.

 

Mr Harrod advised that the Parish Council did not object to the development of the school but had serious concerns about provision of a Children’s Centre.  There was a great deal of local opposition due to increased traffic and lack of provision for adequate parking – all to the detriment of safety for local residents.  The development contravened four local plan policies and would result in further overcrowding on an already overcrowded site. The Children’s Centre would be better sited in a more central location and the Parish Council had serious misgivings regarding the procurement process and had submitted an Article 14 Direction to the Secretary of State.  In the light of that he asked the Committee to refuse the application.

 

Responding to a question from Councillor Hannaby he confirmed that the Parish Council felt that access to the Children’s Centre would be better served if sited in Wheatley.

 

Mr Cunningham and Ms Abolins spoke in support of the application.  Mr Cunningham (School Governors) thanked the Parish Council for their support for the development of the school. Regarding the Children’s Centre he advised that as it would not be operating in peak times it would not add to the problems of congestion at the school.

 

Ms Abolins (CYP&F) confirmed that the County Council had followed procurement rules.  There had been countywide consultation and this site offered clear benefits through good use of space and site and value for money as development of the school and provision of the new Centre would take place simultaneously.  There was also security of tenure.  She was confident that the centre would prove to be an effective base for this area.

 

Responding to questions from –

 

Councillor Seale – Mr Cunningham confirmed that there procedures were in place to secure the site.

 

Councillor Tanner – Ms Abolins confirmed that the decision to locate at this site had not been taken on a cost only basis, that other sites had applied and that Great Milton had been considered to be the most appropriate.

 

Councillor Armitage – Ms Abolins confirmed that the Centre not operating at peak times would not detract from its effectiveness.

 

Councillor David Turner supported the Rural Children’s Centres Project but  felt he had to convey the concerns of local residents about increased traffic and road safety issues, which were a real problem at the school at peak hour delivery and collection times. He had hoped that discussions with officers and local people would have enabled a compromise to be reached to solve these issues through provision of alternative parking and dispersal of some of the traffic. He felt that the Committee should have visited the site to see at first hand the problems that existed.  There was also an issue which the Committee needed to consider regarding the numbers of vehicles likely to visit the site if permission was granted compared with recent months when the Centre had been operating from the school without a dedicated building.  He did not want to see this area lose the Children’s centre, which he supported but he urged that more attention be given to the parking issues.

 

He responded to questions from –

 

Councillor Seale and Councillor Jelf - he did not want to see the application refused but more thought was needed to address traffic issues. The Committee had before it one site which it needed to consider.

 

Councillor Armitage – with regard to further aggravating traffic levels it would be important to stagger times to lessen that impact.

 

Mr Hamilton confirmed that officers had amended their recommendation as set out in the addenda following confirmation from the Government Office for the South East that they had received a request to call in the application.

 

The Committee recognised that levels of parking on the site were inappropriate but that provision of a rural children’s centre was important.

 

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Sanders, seconded by Councillor Tanner and carried 13 votes to 1) that subject to the development not being called in by the Secretary of State to authorise the Head of Sustainable Development to grant permission for Application No. R3.0188/09 (for the demolition of a temporary classroom/community resources building and brick built store and the erection of a single storey building to provide a children’s centre, and the erection of extensions to provide replacement classroom and community resources facility, reading room and replacement store, along with associated external works; at Great Milton C of E School) subject to:

 

(a)       the applicant first (before a planning permission was issued) securing and if necessary obtaining planning permission for suitable alternative temporary arrangements for parking for use by the school during the period of construction;

 

(b)       conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development to include the following matters:

 

1.                  That the development must be carried out strictly in accordance with the particulars contained in the application and the plans accompanying subject to conditions below.

2.                  That the development should all commence within 3 years of the date of the permission.

3.                  That samples of the external materials proposed to be used should all be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development prior to commencement of development.

4.                  That no development should take place until the trees on the site which were to be retained and which were adjacent to or within the development area, had been protected during building operations by means of a protective fence around the edge of the canopy of the trees.

5.                  That the site be landscaped and planted with trees (including replacement trees) and shrubs in accordance with a comprehensive planting and landscaping scheme first approved by the Head of Sustainable Development.

6.                  That all planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping should be carried out in the first planting season following occupation of the buildings or the completion of the development, whichever was sooner.

7.                  The hours of operation of the children’s centre for use by the public should not allow use between 8.00 to 9.15 am and 2.45 to 3.30 pm Monday to Friday during term time.

8.                  The hours of use of the children’s centre at other times (including outside school hours) should be submitted for agreement by the Head of Sustainable Development before any use of the Centre commenced.

9.                  That the high split level windows on the western elevation of the proposed children’s centre building should be frosted or glazed with obscure glass.

10.             That prior to the commencement of the development full details of any additional proposed lighting, should be submitted to and approved by the Head of Sustainable Development.

11.             That prior to the first occupation of the children’s centre building the existing school Travel Plan for the site should be updated and submitted to the Head of Sustainable Development for approval.

12.             That prior to the commencement of the development details of a sustainable drainage scheme for the proposed site should be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Sustainable Development.

13.             Vegetation removal should not take place during the bird breeding season, which is March-August inclusive.  If any trees and/or bushes needed to be removed during this time, they would need to be checked over by an ecological consultant immediately prior to removal to ensure there were no nesting birds present.  If nesting birds were present, the vegetation could not be removed until the birds had fledged.

14.             If any protected species not initially surveyed for were found at any point, all work should cease immediately.  Work should not recommence until a full survey had been carried out, a mitigation strategy prepared and licence obtained (if necessary) in discussion and agreement with Natural England.

15.             The existing pond should not be removed until a new pond had been created in a position to be agreed by the Head of Sustainable Development.

16.             The existing pond should not be removed except in the months of August, September and October.  The pond should be drained gradually and the plant material removed from it  stacked by the side of the pond for at least 24 hours to allow any animals trapped to escape before the vegetation was removed.

17.             Details of the proposals to create habitats for bats in the new buildings should be submitted for agreement by the Head of Sustainable Development.

18.             If any works were planned to occur later than April 2010, the submitted protected species survey must be updated.

19.             Details of proposals for the formation of 3 additional on site parking spaces should be submitted and agreed by the Head of Sustainable Development before development commenced.

20.             Details of a construction traffic management plan (to include details of times of delivery of materials) should be submitted and agreed by the Head of Sustainable Development before development commenced.

 

Archaeological Informative – if archaeological finds occurred during development the County Archaeologist should be notified in order that he might visit the site and advise as necessary.