Contact: Martin Leeds, ext 6733 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 On 4 January 2005, Members deferred a decision on this application, pending further information regarding use and parking issues. Planning permission is sought by the County Council for a new Day Care Centre (for pre-school children) within the existing school campus of the Trosnant Infant and Junior Schools, Stockheath Lane, Havant. Havant Borough Council has raised an objection to the proposal as the application did not have a Green Travel Plan to demonstrate how traffic to and from the school will be managed; and would be likely to encourage the parking of vehicles in Chilcombe Close. Notwithstanding the objection, the recommendation is to grant permission, subject to conditions.

2. The Need of the Day Care Centre

2.1 As part of the Every Child Matters programme and the Children's Act 2004, there is a national strategy to develop 2,500 Sure Start Children's Centres by 2008; their purpose being to provide better services and outcomes for the most disadvantaged children and families by integrating under one roof many of the existing services on offer.

2.2 Sure Start Children's Centres will provide a range of services, although these services will not be the same everywhere because needs and communities vary greatly. For Hampshire, the aim is for a network of centres across the county offering information, advice and support to parents/carers, as well as early years provision of integrated childcare and early learning, health services, outreach and employment advice for disadvantaged families. Hampshire County Council has to inform the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) which wards have been identified as possible locations of Children's Centres based on indications of disadvantage.

2.3 The County Council as a Children's Services Authority, has to provide 53 Children's Centres in Hampshire by the end of March 2008. The current planning application would provide a Children's Centre within Batins Ward in Havant, which is one of Hampshire's top 20% most disadvantaged wards, but will also serve 40% of the adjacent Barncroft Ward.

3. Site and Proposal

3.1 The school campus, illustrated on the attached location plan, consists of the existing Trosnant Infant and Junior Schools and is within a residential area. The main access to the schools, including the parent parking area outside the main gate, is from Stockheath Lane to the west. A pedestrian link and an emergency access to the school site is to the east via Chilcombe Close, a cul-de-sac. To the north of the campus is a recreation ground with housing beyond. Between the recreation ground and the school campus are existing trees/hedging. To the south of the school buildings are the school playing fields.

3.2 The Trosnant Infant and Junior Schools were rebuilt in the mid-1990s; the Infant School was designed with an Early Years Centre, providing community facilities for pre-school children and parents as well as before/after school clubs for children at the schools. The facility has been very successful within the local community but, although it provides many of the services required of a Children's Centre, it currently does not provide full day care. Full day care is a key component for any centre if it is to be designated as a Full Care Children's Centre.

3.3 The proposed development would comprise a detached single storey pitch-roofed building, 325 square metres in area and approximately 10 metres to the north-east of the existing Infant School. The external materials (facing brickwork and weatherboarding) would match, as far as possible, those on the nearby school buildings. Five small trees would be lost but replacement trees will be planted. Existing parking arrangements from Stockheath Lane are to remain although there are to be eight new parking spaces provided close to the new Day Care Centre. These eight spaces would primarily be used for dropping-off children attending the Centre and staff parking; a pedestrian link to accommodate pushchairs and wheelchair users is also to be provided between the Centre and the eight car spaces.

3.4 The location of the building is partially dictated by the existing stormwater sewer - construction must be at least three metres away from the centre line of the sewer and also it must be located in an area within the school campus that does not affect the existing school playing fields.

3.5 The new building would operate between 8 am and 6 pm, and accommodate 36 children aged between three months and five years for the whole day. As the Centre will be providing full day care, start and finish times will be outside normal school hours of 8.45 am to 3.00 pm.

3.6 Photographs of the traffic and roads referred to in this report are shown at the appendix.

4. Development Plan

4.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) (Adopted March 2000) Policy UB3 (appropriate development) applies.

4.2 Havant Borough District-Wide Local Plan 1996-2011 (Adopted September 2005) Policy D1 (high quality design) applies.

5. Consultations

5.1 Havant Borough Council raises objection as, in the absence of a Green Travel Plan and information demonstrating to the contrary, the development of the site in the manner proposed would be likely to encourage the parking of vehicles in Chilcombe Close, which would interrupt the free-flow of traffic, be detrimental to highway safety and be a nuisance to local residents. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy T5 of the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011(Review) and Policies T6 and T9 of the Havant Borough District-Wide Local Plan 1996-2011.

5.2 The Highways Adviser raises no objection, subject to conditions to require submission of a School Travel Plan and implementation of the footpath between the car park and the entrance to the new building. It is further noted that the traffic appraisal submitted with the application anticipated that 60 % of the children attending the Centre would be brought to the site on foot, and that 64 % of staff would cycle or walk. In practical terms this would add fewer than 20 cars to the daily traffic flows. Moreover, this extra traffic would arrive and depart outside normal school hours and make use of the new on-site parking provision. Thus the proposal would not add significantly to the traffic issues and the implementation of a School Travel Plan would help address the matter further.

5.3 The local Member, Councillor Mrs Buckley, comments that the design of the building blends well with existing buildings on the site. She is aware of problems of vandalism at the school. There is a problem with parking in Chilcombe Close at school start and finish time, with many cars parking in the road. She has witnessed cars parking on yellow lines in front of school.

5.4 Councillor Edwards has also been informed.

6. Representations

6.1 Two letters of objection have been received from residents of Chilcombe Close raising concern about vandalism, parking and noise. The school has a serious problem with vandalism and one resident is concerned that their house is close to the proposed new building and so will attract vandals. Chilcombe Close is blocked off with cars dropping off or picking up children, cars park on the zig-zag yellow lines, block the emergency vehicle entrance and block the driveway. Parking causes danger for children coming in and out of school. A neighbouring garden shares a boundary with the site, and the objection is on the grounds that noise from the play area will disturb the enjoyment of the garden.

7. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

7.1 The principle of locating a Children's Centre within Trosnant School is fully supported - it will service a deprived area and is positioned within easy walking distance for residents. Moreover, there are no planning issues associated with the building and site. The main issue is about access to the school, including the provision of children `drop-off/pickup' facilities and the problems of parents parking in Chilcombe Close, the residential cul-de-sac next to the school.

7.2 It is acknowledged that there is a problem with parents of the children going to and from the Junior and Infant school parking in Chilcombe Close. However, it is unlikely that the Children's Centre will add to this problem. The proposal includes a small parking and drop-off area which should be sufficient for the limited number of the 36 children who may arrive at the Day Care Centre by car. Moreover the hours that the centre will be open (8 am to 6 pm) are different to those of the school itself which should ensure that there is no competition from other parents for the drop-off places that are provided at the entrance to the school site.

7.3 There is a general problem of school traffic in Chilcombe Close. Parents are requested not to park in this area, although it is evident that these requests are to a degree ignored. However, this matter is not one that can be addressed through the current application, although the School Travel Plan will address the problem.

7.4 The comments on noise and vandalism are noted but, like the traffic issue, the development is unlikely to materially affect existing circumstances. Therefore it is recommended to grant permission subject to conditions, including the requirement for a School Travel Plan.

Recommendation

That planning permission for Trosnant Infant School, Stockheath Lane, Havant - new single storey building to house full day care provision for children from three months to five years (pre-school) (Application No. 05/59810/004) (County Council Ref. No. HVE016) be granted for the following reason, and subject to the following conditions.

Reason for Approval

It is considered that the proposal would be in accordance with the Development Plan (summary attached) and would not materially harm the character of the area or the amenity of local residents and would be acceptable in terms of highway safety.

Conditions

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

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

(2) The external materials to be used shall match as closely as possible in type, colour and texture to those on the nearby school buildings.

Reason: To secure a satisfactory development.

(3) Before development is commenced, details and alignment of the pedestrian link from the proposed car park to the building to be constructed shall be submitted in writing to, and approved by, the Local Planning Authority. The pedestrian link shall have been constructed before the use of the building is commenced.

Reason: To improve on-site access for pedestrians and in the interests of highway safety.

(4) Occupation of the building shall not commence until provision for the parking, turning, loading and unloading of vehicles has been made within the curtilage. The area of land so provided shall not be used for any purpose other than the parking, turning loading and unloading of vehicles.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

(5) Within three months from the commencement of use of the Day Care Centre, a School Travel Plan shall have been submitted in writing to and agreed by the Local Planning Authority. The agreed School Travel Plan shall be operational within the following three months.

Reason: To minimise trip generations associated with the development by the private car and encourage the use of alternative means of travel in compliance with the aims and objectives of Policy PPG13.

(6) No later than two months from the start of construction works for the new Day Care Centre, details of the proposed planting shall be submitted in writing to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. The agreed details shall be implemented in the first planting season following completion of the construction works.

Reason: To secure a satisfactory planting scheme.

(7) There shall be no access to the development site by any traffic associated with the construction/demolition (ie no delivery vehicles, no contractors' cars, nor plant and machinery) between the hours of 0830 and 0915, and 1440 and 1520 on normal school days.

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.

(8) 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 hours or after 1800 hours from Monday to Friday inclusive, or before 0800 hours or after 1400 hours on Saturday, and not at all on Sunday or recognised public holidays, unless otherwise agreed beforehand in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

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

(9) Any external security lighting used, either fixed to the proposed building or free-standing, shall be positioned so that when in use it does not shine directly into nearby residential properties.

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

736/ML

Annexe to Reasons for Conditions

(as required by Article 22 of the Town and Country Planning

(General Procedure) Order 1995 - as amended)

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Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011(Review) (Adopted March 2000)

Policy UB3 (appropriate development)

All development permitted in accordance with other policies of this Plan should be appropriate in design, scale, layout and density to its surroundings and contribute to the quality of the built environment.

Havant Borough District-Wide Local Plan 1996-2011 (Adopted September 2005)

Policy D1 High Quality Design

Development will be permitted provided it achieves [in terms of siting, massing, scale, proportion, alignment, rhythm, layout, materials (finishes, details, features), spaces and views] all of the following:

(i) creates an attractive environment that has its own distinctive identity but which respects and enhances local character;

(ii) ensures the efficient use of land;

(iii) provides safe and access to facilities and public transport;

(iv) does not adversely affect the amenities of occupiers of neighbouring properties.