Contact: Karin Taylor, ext 5938

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for the construction of a playground at the rear of the school. The resident of a neighbouring property has objected on the basis that there will be an increase in noise nuisance. The recommendation is to approve the application, subject to conditions.

2. Site and Proposal

2.1 The school is located on the southern edge of Meonstoke. It is a rural school catering for pupils between 4 and 8 years old. There are currently 76 children on the school roll. The new playground is proposed to be sited at the northern end of the playing field to the rear of the school and adjacent to the rear garden boundaries of a number of houses in Chapel Road.

2.2 The existing hard surfaced areas for both structured and informal outdoor activities are minimal and consist of a small area of tarmac running along the rear of the main building with an area of approximately 180 square metres. Government guidance suggests that approximately 9 square metres are required per pupil for outdoor activities, two thirds of that ideally being hard surfaced play area. Therefore, 456 square metres of hard surfaced area is needed to be in accordance with this guidance. The new playground will provide an additional 278 square metres of hard surface, giving a total of 458 square metres.

2.3 The pupils at the school will benefit greatly from the increased hard surface play area which will be used all year round for physical education, which is a requirement of the national curriculum, and informally for recreation at playtime.

2.4 The playground will be finished with tarmac, with a narrow 50 millimetre concrete edging detail. A low level wall finished with timber slats will provide a seating area at the bottom of the playground close to the existing trees and shrubs. A 1,800 millimetre high mesh fence will be erected to prevent balls and other play equipment from straying into adjacent gardens.

2.5 Drainage to the new playground will be in the form of French drains. Existing chalk subsoil conditions currently provide good and free flowing drainage to existing grassed areas.

2.6 All existing trees, bushes and shrubs on the site are to be retained and will not be affected by the construction of the new playground.

3. Development Plan

3.1 Winchester District Local Plan, adopted 1998, policies C2, C7, FS1 concern criteria for development in the countryside, protection of landscape and facilities within settlements.

4. Consultations

4.1 Corhampton and Meonstoke Parish Council has queried whether an alternative location on the site had been considered, and whether it would be possible to position a new playground at the other end of the site, away from the Chapel Road houses. If this is not possible, the Parish Council has requested that the County Council ensures that there is adequate space for the hedge to be cut from the school side, and that the mesh fencing used is the least obtrusive possible.

4.2 Sport England has no objection to the proposal since the development will enhance the use of the site for sporting and physical activities.

4.3 The local Member, Councillor Hindson, supports the application.

5. City Council's Views

5.1 Winchester City Council has no objection to the proposal.

6. Representations

6.1 One letter of objection has been received from an adjoining resident on the basis that the proposed playground is sited at a corner of the school plot immediately adjacent to her garden on both its east and north sides. It will be approximately 10 metres from the terrace to the rear of her house, and 15 metres from her principal sitting room. She considers it will cause an increase in noise nuisance, by concentrating children's play so close to the boundary of her house and other residents' houses.

7. County Planning Officer's Comments

7.1 Consideration has been given to siting the playground further away from the adjacent houses, but this has been rejected on the following grounds:

(i) the school needs to retain a 'running track' for structured/formal PE and other activities;

(ii) the existing five senses garden and wildlife area would become restricted if the playground were to be repositioned on the far side of the site;

(iii) there is a child safety issue as there is a public footpath close to the far end of the field, whereas the chosen location is well away from all pedestrian routes; and

(iv) alternative locations would not be so easily managed by staff as they would be further away from the main school building.

7.2 At present, due to the lack of a hard surfaced playground, the children play on the field all year round. The school is for a particularly young age group and with only 76 children on the roll it is not considered that the noise nuisance will increase sufficiently to justify refusing this application.

Recommendation

That the construction of a new playground at Meonstoke CE School, Chapel Lane, Meonstoke (Application No. W16121/02) be approved, subject to the following conditions:

(1) The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of five years from the date on which this planning permission was granted.

Reason: To comply with Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

(2) There shall be no access to the development site by any traffic associated with the construction (ie no delivery vehicles, no contractors' cars, nor plant and machinery) in the morning between 0830 and 0915; and in the afternoon between 1500 and 1545.

Reason: In the interests of public safety and to avoid traffic conflict at the times of the day when pupils are arriving at and departing from school.

(3) No work relating to the construction of the development approved, including works of preparation prior to operations, the delivery of construction materials, skips or machinery, nor the removal of waste materials, shall take place before 0800 or after 1800 Monday to Friday inclusive, before 0800 or after 1400 on Saturday and not at all on Sunday or recognised public holidays, unless otherwise agreed beforehand in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To protect the amenities of occupiers of nearby properties.

6997/KT