APPENDIX

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

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for the renewal of temporary planning consent to continue the siting of a temporary classroom unit for a further five years at Saxon Wood School, Rooksdown, Barron Place, Basingstoke. Objections have been received from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Rooksdown Parish Council. Three letters of objection/ concerns have been received from local residents. Notwithstanding the objections, planning permission is recommended to continue the siting of the temporary classroom for a further five years.

2. Site and Proposal

Site

2.1 The site (as shown on the attached location plan), is an existing school for pupils with physical disabilities or complex medical condition; the pupils' ages ranging from nursery (2 years) to 11 year olds. There is residential development opposite the site to the north-east and south-east. There are mature trees on its north-west and south-west boundaries, the latter boundary being parallel to the busy A339 Kingsclere Road. There is a small garden area with a hard-surfaced play area south-east of the main school buildings. Vehicles and pedestrians both gain access to the site from a residential cul-de-sac off Barron Place to the north-east. The school's car park adjoins both this access and the existing temporary classroom unit. The temporary classroom is directly attached to the main school building with a linkway because the school caters for children with physical disabilities. Both the temporary classroom unit and linkway were put on-site in 1996.

Proposal and Current Situation

2.2 Due to the internal arrangement of accommodation within the main school building, the temporary classroom continues to be required to provide much needed teaching space, since the permanent accommodation does not provide all the facilities required to deliver the curriculum.

2.3 There are no funds available to provide permanent accommodation if the temporary classroom is removed. Removal of the temporary classroom would not reduce the numbers of pupils (currently 34 on roll) or staff, including specialist medical personnel from the Health Authority.

2.4 The school caters for physically disabled children of a particular age (2 to 11 years) and is the only one of its type covering the northern half of the county; an area from Andover/Stockbridge in the north and west, to Bordon in the east. The school is served by 11 special mini-buses, (8 of which have wheelchair access) and up to 3 taxis on a normal school day.

3. Development Plan

3.1 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Adopted Local Plan 1996-2011 (Adopted June 2006) shows the site as existing development (the shape of the school building but not annotated) within the defined Settlement Policy Boundary for Basingstoke. The relevant Policy is E1 (Development Control).

3.2 Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) [Adopted 2000], Policy UB3 (Appropriate development) applies.

4. Consultations

4.1 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council objects to the application for the following reason:

"The proposed buildings, due to their temporary nature, materials and design, are out of keeping with the area, contrary to Policy UB3 and other relevant policies of the Hampshire County Structure Plan and Policy E1 of the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Local Plan 1996-2011." In addition "The Borough Council urges the Local Education Authority to consider a permanent solution rather than the renewal of a temporary consent."

4.2 Rooksdown Parish Council objects for the following reasons:

(i) the building is not a permanent structure, is out of keeping with the local area and not designed for long term use;

(ii) the building takes up valuable car parking spaces thereby "the overflow car park is the adjoining pavements and grass verges" causing access problems to homes and the school;

(iii) buses delivering children to the school are too big for the estate's roads that lead to the school, and now have nowhere to park, thus forcing others using the school to park on the pavement and grass verges of the road;

(iv) there are other areas of the school where a new building could be sited that would be out of sight and free up car parking;

(v) because of the structure and the problems it creates, the car parking stops services attending the area to local housing: emergency services cannot attend the homes next to the school; grass cutting of verges is impeded as is street cleaning; and

(vi) should Saxon Wood actually have the number of children to need an extra classroom then surely they should be educated in the correct environment?

4.3 The Highways Adviser has no objection in principle but refers to the highway issues raised by the Parish Council and local residents, particularly the concerns over mini-buses parking on the residential roads and the use of the former access off Rooksdown Lane. The Adviser comments that the A339 Kingsclere Road is a very busy route, with high traffic speeds and poor visibility at the junction with Rooksdown Lane, and concludes that it would be inappropriate to encourage school buses to use Rooksdown Lane to access the school and that the school should continue to be accessed via Barron Place, because this a safer route than Rooksdown Lane. An accident survey in the area over the last three years shows a number of accidents on the A339, including three slight injury accidents which have taken place near the junction with Rooksdown Lane between 8.30 am and 9.10 am. However, no accidents have been reported on the residential roads currently serving the school.

4.4 In addition it is acknowledged that overspill car parking from the school is a problem on Barron Place, with cars parked on the verges, obstructing pedestrian movements. The school needs to submit a School Travel Plan which looks at ways of reducing the need to travel by car.

4.5 The local Member, Councillor Reid, has been informed.

5. Representations

5.1 Three letters of objection/concern have been received from local residents. Their comments are very similar to the points raised by the Parish Council; in addition one of the letters refers to the original access point to the site from Rooksdown Lane.

6. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

6.1 The objections of the Borough Council, Rookwood Parish Council and local residents are noted.

6.2 Policies referred to by the Borough Council relate to general development control criteria, building design and suitability of development. It is considered unreasonable to expect temporary classroom buildings to meet all the criteria for design included in local plans. Such buildings are not generally intended to be long-term developments, but to provide a stop gap until the issue of permanent accommodation is resolved. Unfortunately, in the case of this school, there are no funds available to provide additional permanent accommodation to replace the temporary classroom. This is disappointing, but the lack of a permanent solution must be considered in relation to other matters of public interest.

6.3 The Parish Council and local residents refer to other locations for the temporary classroom. However, the site is tightly constrained, with mature trees on both its northern and western boundaries. There is a small garden area/play facility adjoining the southern part of the school building, but these provide essential facilities for the school. Moreover, the availability or otherwise of alternative sites is not material to this application, which must be treated on its merits.

6.4 There are issues of parking on local estate roads and the concerns/objections are appreciated. The school deals with children with physical disabilities, so there is a higher ratio of staff to pupils than would normally be the case. The effect is that the staff, including medical specialists, may generate slightly more vehicular traffic.

6.5 When the temporary classroom unit was first put on-site in 1996, it was acknowledged that the unit would have to be sited on some existing car parking spaces because of the lack of an alternative site on the school campus, and the need to link into a particular part of the main school building. Replacement car spaces were formed under the trees near the now closed access point off Rooksdown Lane, so the parking capacity of the site has been maximised.

6.6 It has been suggested that re-opening the previous access to the site from Rookwood Lane to the north-west of the school would help overcome the local traffic problems. Rooksdown Lane, however, joins the busy A339 Kingsclere Road and the Rooksdown Lane access into the school was closed due to danger of slow moving vehicles crossing/turning at this junction. The Highway Adviser considers this would still be the case if the access from the school onto Rookwood Lane were to be opened for normal use. The Rooksdown Lane access could, if the need arose, be used for emergency vehicles.

6.7 A Travel Plan can help alleviate some of the parking capacity problems referred to by the Parish Council, but it is acknowledged that it cannot be the total solution. Accordingly, a balance has to be struck between the need to retain the classroom unit and its impact on the local community.

6.8 The temporary classroom unit has been on-site at this particular location since 1996 and has been continually used for education purposes. It is a restricted site with inherent problems and continuing with the current arrangements is not satisfactory. On the other hand, the temporary classroom is important to the provision of special education needs for the whole of north Hampshire. Under these circumstances its considered that the need for the continued siting of the classroom unit overrides the impacts that it causes and a further temporary permission is recommended. Notwithstanding this conclusion, it is recommended that the applicant be advised that the Regulatory Committee considers the site is unsuitable in the long term and that a permanent replacement site should be sought as quickly as practicable.

Recommendations

1. That planning permission in respect of renewal of temporary permission for one single temporary classroom (Ref 9255) at Saxon Wood School, Rooksdown, Barron Place, Basingstoke (Application No.BDB/64167) 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 for a limited period only, expiring on 31 August 2011 or when the education use ceases, whichever is the sooner. At the expiration of this period the building (as identified by reference number 9255) shall be removed and the land reinstated to its former condition as soon as possible.

Reason: To comply with Section 91 (as amended) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and to secure the visual amenity of the locality, as the building is not considered suitable for permanent retention.

(2) Within a period of six months from the date of this planning permission, a supporting School Travel Plan shall be submitted in writing to and agreed by the Local Planning Authority. The agreed Plan shall be implemented within a further six months from the date of its approval.

Reason: In order to reduce overspill car parking from the site onto nearby residential roads.

2. That Children's Services be advised that the local planning authority considers that the Saxon Wood School site, by the intensity of its use and its location, is unsuitable and adversely affects neighbouring residents, and every effort should be made to find and develop a replacement.

1119/ML

Annexe to Reason 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 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.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Adopted Local Plan 1996-2011 (Adopted June 2006)

Policy E1 (Development Control)

Proposals for new development will be permitted provided that they are of a high standard of design, make efficient use of land, respect the amenities of neighbouring occupiers, and do not result in inappropriate traffic generation or compromise highway safety. All development proposals should therefore (inter-alia):

(i) Respond to the local context of buildings in terms of design, siting, density and spacing......extensions should respect their host building.

(ii) Not generate traffic of a type or amount inappropriate for roads, properties or settlements in the locality, and provide safe and convenient access for all potential users, integrating into existing movement networks and open spaces.