Contact: Katie Snell, ext 5938 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The application has given rise to comments on traffic and visual impacts. However, as the number of people attending the Children's Centre will be low and the services are designed for the immediate catchment area so there are no anticipated highways issues. The design is considered to be sympathetic to the existing building and is of a small scale. Therefore it is concluded that there are no significant adverse amenity or traffic impacts associated with the proposal.

2. Recommendation

That planning permission to extend the existing building by 17 square metres to provide a children's toilet and small kitchen, add new double doors to north elevation, extension to be brick to match existing with pitched slate roof to match existing, at Eling Infant School, School Road, Eling, Totton (Application No. 07/91089) be granted for the following reason, subject to conditions set out in Appendix 1.

Reason for Approval

It is considered that the proposal would be in accordance with the development plan (summary attached in Appendix 2) 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 and convenience.

3. Site and Proposal

3.1 The extension to Eling Infant School is in order to accommodate a Children's Centre. The extension comprises 17 square metres to the west elevation of the School. It will be a brick building, the brick and mortar colour and the detailing to match existing. The roof will be slate to match existing, with a black powder coated "conservation" rooflight. The windows and doors will be timber, detailed to match the existing.

3.2 The Children's Centre works will refurbish existing rooms to provide an office, reception, multi-purpose room and adult and accessible toilets. A children's toilet and a small kitchen for use by the Children's Centre will be provided in the extension. The ground will be locally graded up to provide level thresholds at the new and existing entrance doors.

3.3 The Children's Centre proposed is to provide a service to approximately 950 0 to 5 year olds in the wards of Totton and Eling. The Children's Centre will also be used by the School. The Centre will open from 0800 hours in the morning to 1800 hours in the afternoon and the School will have use of parts of the Centre at lunchtime.

3.4 This Centre will be open to meet the needs of the local community, enabling a flexible service. The local community focus of the service has dictated the location of the building, making it as accessible as possible to buggies. Automatic front doors, level thresholds, simple plans and wide corridors allow easy access to and around the building for very young children and their carers.

4. Development Plan

4.1 New Forest District Local Plan First Alteration (Adopted August 2005) shows this site to be within an existing School in the defined built up area of Eling. Policy DW-E1 (General development criteria) applies.

5. Consultations

5.1 New Forest District Council has no objection subject to condition.

5.2 Totton and Eling Town Council has been informed.

5.3 Environment Agency has no comment.

5.4 Highway Authority has no objection subject to conditions.

5.5 The local Member, Councillor Harrison, has been informed.

6. Representations

6.1 There have been nine letters of representation from local residents. The issues raised were potential traffic increase and the associated parking problems. Concerns over the impact to the visual appearance of the School were also raised.

7. Commentary

7.1 The comments raised in regard to traffic and visual impact are noted.

7.2 There will be a maximum of 10 children in the crèche whilst their parents attend short courses at the Centre. These events will be sporadic, not occurring every day or even every week. It is intended that the hours of the short courses, and therefore crèche use, will be set to alternate with the School peak times. The courses are of a short duration, usually one or two hours. It is expected that most users of the Centre will arrive on foot as these locations are specifically selected to serve a local need.

7.3 Currently there are a number of bicycles parked regularly at the School, but no designated cycle storage. The proposal includes facilities for 10 cycles in the new works. The School does have a Travel Plan, which is described as "live" as it is regularly updated. It will be amended to include the addition of the Children's Centre.

7.4 The suitability of the proposed deign has been questioned by local residents. The proposed materials will match the existing, and a condition to ensure this is included. The height and dimension of the extension is to scale with the existing elevations and there is no intention of a window on the south elevation, so the privacy for the neighbouring resident will be respected. The roof line repeats the pattern of the triangular form. Overall the design is considered to be sympathetic to the existing building and is of a small size.

7.5 In light of the above, it is concluded that there are no significant adverse amenity impacts associated with this proposal.

1543/KS

APPENDIX 1

Conditions

Time Limits

(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.

Hours of Working

(2) 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) in the morning between 0830 and 0915 hours; and in the afternoon between 1515 and 1545 hours.

Reason: In the interests of public safety, 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 hours Monday to Friday inclusive, before 0800 or after 1400 hours 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.

Materials

(4) The external materials to be used shall match as closely as possible in type, colour and texture to those on the existing building.

Reason: To secure a satisfactory development.

Highways

(5) Details of provision to be made for the parking and turning on site of operatives' and construction vehicles during the construction period shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing and fully implemented before development commences. Such measures shall be retained for the duration of the construction period.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

Advice Note

The School Travel Plan shall be revised to incorporate the Children's Centre and the revised Travel Plan shall be approved by the Local Planning Authority. The approved Travel Plan shall be implemented within three months of the occupation of the Children's Centre.

Reason: To promote sustainable modes of travel to the site and reduce the need to travel by car.

APPENDIX 2

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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New Forest District Local Plan First Alteration (Adopted August 2005)

C1 Design, layout and landscape

General

Policy DW-E1 (General development criteria)

Development shall be appropriate and sympathetic in scale, appearance, materials, form, siting and layout, and shall not cause unacceptable effects by reason of visual intrusion, overlooking, shading or other adverse impact on local amenities. Developers shall have regard to:

(a) the scale and siting of the proposal in relation to adjoining development, spaces, the character of the area and the wider landscape. This will involve consideration of height, massing and density, relationship to adjoining buildings and land uses and landscape features on and off site, and other potential impacts of the proposal on local amenities e.g. noise, light or other forms of pollution, including those arising from traffic generated by the development (see also Policy DW-E43, Section C6); and

(b) materials and built form in relation to the character of adjoining development, local vernacular and any historic features (see also Policies DW-E18 to DW-E29, Section C2).