Archived decisions

Contact: Judith Smallman, ext. 5461 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for the construction of a new build early years centre at Westgate School detached playing field at Bereweeke Road Winchester. The proposal is a departure from planning policy. No objections have been received and it is proposed to recommend approval subject to conditions.

2. Site

2.1 The site, illustrated on the attached plan, is a detached playing field for Westgate School situated on the north side of Bereweeke Road. It is principally within a residential area and close to Peter Symond's College. The site has not been used for as a playing field since 1995 as the school has had difficulties using the field because of its detached location, lack of on- site changing facilities, tight size constraints of the site and the orientation of any pitch in relation to adjacent road and properties.

2.2 It has been used as a temporary school site for St Bede's and offices for the County Music Service whose existing site on Gordon Road was subject to severe flooding in December 2000. The school has recently returned to its refurbished buildings and the County Music Service is proposed to move to the former Rookwood School. The permission for the temporary school was subject to a planning condition for the site to be returned to a playing field.

2.3 Eight alternative sites for the construction of the Early Years Centre have been considered but proved to be unworkable.

3. Proposal

3.1 The proposal seeks to change the use of the land from recreation to a new location and building for the early years centre, a merger of the Medecroft Opportunity Centre and mainstream nursery class from St Bede's School. The Medecroft Opportunity Centre is to be re-located from its existing leased premises at King Alfreds College.

3.2 The role of the new centre will be to provide an inclusive pre-school education for 0-5 year olds, with a range of additional integrated multi-agency therapy and parental support services for families, particularly those caring for a young child with special educational needs.

3.3 Over half of the site will be retained for formal and informal play activities. Within the building special educational activities will be provided including pre-school nursery, group therapy, information and training courses for parents and child minders.

3.4 The pre-school will accommodate 55 full time equivalent 3-5yrs, with 25/30 SEN/mainstream places, 16 no of which will be available on a day care basis. The centre will be open for 39 weeks of the year, the school term cycle for the educational pre-school places, with a further 9 weeks for the day care/holiday club activities.

3.5 For health and safety reasons, particularly when dealing with pre school children, and to ensure the minimum impact of the development on local residents, a number of core design principles for the site relating to traffic and parking have been developed as follows:-

(i) the centre will operate from 08.00 - 1800 hours with arrangements being made for a staggering of arrivals to reduce the number of vehicles on site at any one time and ensuring all drop-off can be accommodated on site;

(ii) all parking and drop-off/collection of children will be catered for on site to eliminate the occurrence of casual "parking" across residents' driveways on Bereweeke Road;

(iii) the provision of a new single vehicular entry/exit point in the centre of the site with visibility splays to appropriate highway standards;

(iv) the provision of zigzag line markings on Bereweeke Road frontage to prevent stopping;

(v) the closure of the existing 2 parking spaces on Bereweeke Road directly opposite the new entrance, by way of a separate Traffic Regulation Order, to eliminate their use fro drop-off purposes fro safety reasons, and to aid entry and exit manoeuvres to and from the site;

(vi) the provision of pedestrian entry points off Bereweeke Road for both directions of approach, separate to the vehicular entrance to minimise the width of the new entrance road opening;

(vii) the location of parking areas and the vehicle turning loop away from adjacent residential properties in so far as practicable; and

(viii) the provision of pedestrian crossing points off Bereweeke Road with tactile paving, related to the above pedestrian accesses.

3.6 The total floor area of the proposed building shown in this application is 1000m2. It will be single storey, using "domestic" scale roof forms appropriate to its use by very young children in materials to match the surrounding houses. It is proposed that, as a condition of seeking planning consent for the Early Years Centre, a restriction on the alternative use of the site is voluntarily imposed by the County Council in the light of expectations that the site would be restored to playing fields upon the cessation of its temporary use as a home for the St Bede CE ( C ) Primary School.

3.7 It is proposed that a Section 106 planning agreement be entered into with Winchester City Council, restricting the use of the site for early years education for a period of 20 years. By entering into an agreement the County Council seek to demonstrate that its proposals for the use of the site, within the reasonably foreseeable future, are limited to its aspirations to successfully construct and operate the Early Years Centre.

3.8 In exchange for relinquishing the use of the playing field, Westgate School will have the use of the a refurbished and extended swimming pool and fitness suite at Winton House, located on the Andover Road, Winchester. The school consider this refurbishment will offer a substantial enhancement to the year round sporting facilities available to its pupils and be of benefit to feeder schools and in the evenings to the local community.

4. Development Plan

Hampshire County Structure Plan Review - Policies R1 (Loss of recreational land) T5 (Highway Contributions) & T6 (Impact on Strategic Road Network)

Winchester District Local Plan - Policies EN.2 (Retention of land with amenity value), RT2 (Protection of recreational land and facilities), EN.5 (General Development Criteria) & T9 (Highway Safety)

Winchester District Local Plan Revised and Review Deposit Policies-RT.1( Protection of Open Areas), RT.4 (Improvements in Recreational Land), DP.1 (General Criteria for Development), DP.3 ((General Design Criteria

5. Consultations

Councillor Dickens - No comment.

Winchester City Council - no objection subject to conditions relating to the refurbishment of facilities at Winton House and reversion of the application site to playing field. The Council also recommends a financial contribution for the provision of off site highway infrastructure.

Sports England - no objection subject to conditions and the County Council undertaking to provide the recreational facilities at Winton House within an agreed programme.

National Playing Fields Association - no response.

Highways Adviser (HCC) - no objection subject to conditions and a Traffic Regulation Order to remove parking spaces and facilitate access to the site.

6. Representations

Four letters of support have been received to the application.

7. Chief Planning Advisers Comments

7.1 The proposed development is a departure from the development of the plan as the proposal involves the loss of a playing field and amenity space. However, whilst there will be a building on the site it has been designed to retain as much as possible it's open character and over half of the site area will be retained for children's play. Although there will be a loss of a formal playing area it will still be used for play by younger children of a type which is not currently available to children in Winchester.

7.2 The comments of Sport England are welcomed and it is recommended that the County Council make the appropriate undertaking and enter the legal agreement restricting the use of the site.

7.3 The requirement for a contribution towards the provision of off site highway infrastructure as recommended by Winchester City Council is acknowledged and recommendations are proposed to deliver this and other highway and traffic measures.

7.4 In conclusion whilst the proposal is a departure from national and local planning policy due to the exceptional circumstances of this particular case, the benefits to sport of the wider proposals will significantly outweigh any detriment that may be caused by the loss of the playing field land. In addition the development will result in a major improvement in the provision of pre school education in Winchester and associated letters of support to the application and the absence of any objection from consultees or the local community demonstrates that such a departure is acceptable.

Recommendations

That planning permission in respect of the construction of a new build Early Years Centre at Westgate School detached playing field, Bereweeke Road, Winchester (W14917/03 03/01999/H) be granted permission subject to a Section 106 Agreement with Winchester City Council restricting the use of the land for a 20 year period and an undertaking by the County Council to make a financial contribution to off site improvement infrastructure and to provide a refurbished swimming pool and sports facilities to a programme to be agreed with Sport England and the following conditions:

1. The permission hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of 5 years from the date on which this planning permission was granted.

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

2. The Early Years Centre shall not be occupied until the Traffic Regulation Order to relocate the two car parking spaces on Bereweeke Road has been implemented or in the event it is unsuccessful alternative measures which have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority implemented.

Reason: In the interests of highway safey.

3. Provision shall be made for the parking and turning on site of operative's and contractor's vehicles during the contract period and this shall be fully implemented before development commences and shall be retained for the duration of the construction period.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

4. Measures to prevent mud/spoil from vehicles leaving the site during construction works being deposited on the public highway shall be provided before development commences and thereafter maintained for the duration of the construction period. No lorry shall leave the site unless its wheels have been cleaned off sufficiently to prevent mud being carried onto the highway. It shall be cleaned off on each working day.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

5. Construction traffic shall not enter or leave the site between the hours of 0800 - 0830 and 1630- 1700 when students are arriving or departing from a nearby Sixth Form College.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety and to avoid potential conflict with pedestrian movements.

6. No work relating to the construction of the development shall take place before 0800 hours or after 1800 hours on Monday to Friday inclusive, or before 0900 hours or after 1300 hours on Saturday. No working shall take place on Sunday, bank or public holidays.

Reason: In the interests of the amenity of the site and adjoining residents.

7. A detailed landscaping scheme shall be submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority prior to the use of the development. In the event that any shrub/tree dies within the first three years of planting it shall be replaced with a similar species, unless otherwise agreed by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of the amenity of the site.

8. Samples of materials to be used for the building works are to be submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of development.

Reason: To secure a satisfactory development.

9. A scheme of works shall be submitted and approved for the control of dust off site prior to the commencement of development.

Reason: In the interests of the local amenity.

10. No development shall take place within the site until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant and approved by the Local Planning Authority,

Reason: In the interest of the archaeology of the site.

11. The car parking areas shall be properly laid out and surfaced to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority prior to the occupation of the new buildings and the area of land shall not be used for any purpose other than that of a car park.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

12. A school transport plan shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing within three months of the occupation of the development. The agreed details of this plan shall be fully implemented in accordance with an approved programme.

Reason: To minimise vehicle movements to and from the site.

13. Prior to the occupation of the new school building the existing access points to the site from Bereweeke Road shall be stopped up to vehicles and the land reinstated.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

14. The swimming pool and sports hall at Winton House shall be refurbished and available for use by Westgate School and the community by September 2006 unless otherwise agreed with the local Planning Authority in consultation with Sport England.

Reason: To ensure adequate sports provison as replacement for the loss of the detached playing field.

15. Details of the boundary treatment for the site are to be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of development.

Reason: In the interests of the amenity of the site.

8438/JS