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

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for a single storey extension and stand-alone building to form a new children's centre, including associated external works, at Waterside Primary School, Ashford Crescent, Hythe.

1.2 Five letters of objection have been received. The grounds of objection are:

(i) increase in traffic;

(ii) lack of parking provision;

(iii) extension of opening hours on-site;

(iv) extension of site usage throughout the year; and

(v) inadequate Travel Plan.

1.3 The highways issues have been investigated and found not to be of significant adverse impact. The Highways Authority has raised no objection and conditions can be used to satisfy the issue of the Travel Plan. There are no significant amenity impacts associated with the development, even though the Children's Centre will operate longer hours and for more days than the existing School. Therefore planning permission is recommended, subject to conditions.

2. Recommendation

That planning consent for the construction of a single storey extension and stand-alone building to form new children's centre, including associated external works, at Waterside Primary School, Ashford Crescent, Hythe be granted for the following reason and 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) would not materially harm the character of the area or the amenity of local residents and would be acceptable in terms of highway safety.

3. Site and Proposal

3.1 The proposed centre comprises two elements, both located in the south-east corner of the Waterside Primary School site. There is to be an extension to the existing pre-school wing to enable full day-care to be offered to up to 24 children (aged between 3 and 5 years) and a separate new building of approximately 210 square metres located adjacent to this extension. This will contain the reception, meeting rooms, crèche and administration functions of the Children's Centre.

3.2 The extension to the pre-school wing will create approximately 75 square metres additional floor area, with toilets and a playroom, opening out onto a new terrace and play area beneath existing trees. A new entrance canopy is proposed to provide a covered area for buggy storage. The extension will be built to match the existing building, with brick elevations and a flat roof with deep eaves.

3.3 The existing playroom will have some minor internal alterations to make it suitable for 12 children (aged two years and under).

3.4 A small entrance court will be created off the footway on the corner of Ashford Crescent, leading to the entrance to the new Children's Centre building. In this location, the Children's Centre is easily accessible to visitors without affecting the day-time security of the children attending the School.

3.5 A new separate gated access on the east of the site boundary will provide a direct pupil and parent route to the rear of the School via a new footpath leading along the south side of the playing field, around the Children's Centre and reception class areas.

3.6 The new stand-alone building will be a simple, rendered, rectangular building, incorporating two recessed porch areas - one forming the entrance, the other a small covered play space for the day-care. The elevations have large panels of natural timber cladding, set between dark grey aluminium windows and doors.

3.7 Waterside Children's Centre is proposed to provide both family support services and day-care within the site of Waterside Primary School. The services provided will be developed to meet the particular needs of the young families living within the local wards and will include:

(i) integrated early education and childcare for under-fives (through developing the existing 24-place pre-school into 36-place day-care);

(ii) parenting support and advice;

(iii) a crèche for up to ten children, when required, to enable their parents to attend a course or meeting at the Centre;

(iv) access to child and family health services;

(v) drop in sessions including parents'/carers'/childminders' groups;

(vi) links to extended services, out-of-school activities, holiday play schemes, etc;

(vii) links to local individual and networked childminders; and

(viii) home visiting services.

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 built-up area of Hythe. A minor proportion of the site falls within private/education authority recreational land (Policy DW-R2). This proposal accords with Policies DW-R2, Policy DW-E6 (General development criteria) and Policy DW-E1 (Landscaping).

5. Consultations

5.1 The Highway Authority has no objection subject to conditions relating to construction traffic and the production and implementation of a Travel Plan.

5.2 New Forest District Council has been informed.

5.3 Hythe and Dibden Parish Council has been informed.

6. Representations

6.1 Five letters from local residents have been received. The grounds of objection are:

(i) increase in traffic;

(ii) lack of parking provision;

(iii) extension of opening hours on-site;

(iv) extension of site usage throughout the year; and

(v) inadequate Travel Plan.

7. Commentary

7.1 Local residents have raised traffic as an issue in regard to the development. It is acknowledged that the proposal will increase traffic in the area. There is an anticipated increase of approximately 19 trips a day, as there will be 18 full time equivalent (FTE) new staff associated with the Children's Centre (including the day-care facility).

7.2 Parking has also been raised as an issue. The existing primary school has 7 classrooms and so should have 11 designated parking spaces. The proposed Children's Centre would have 18 staff and so should have up to 13 parking spaces provided. This gives a requirement of a total 24 parking spaces. There are currently 16 spaces on site. Also, an accessible parking space is proposed on Ashford Crescent, within 40 metres of the entrance to the Children's Centre. A further 3 spaces are proposed as part of the development, leaving a deficit of 4 spaces.

7.3 However, it is not possible to extend the existing car park any further to meet the deficits, owing to the constraints of significant mature trees, health and safety issues and a change in land level.

7.4 Notwithstanding this reduced parking provision, it is not considered a major concern. The calculation of 24 parking spaces is based on maximum standards, but the development is designed to serve local needs. Visitors to the Children's Centre are expected to be attending the site for other purposes, such as collecting children from school, and so the need for parking is expected to be less than an independent facility. The Highway Authority has raised no objection, as the number of journeys produced in association with the development will not result in a significant increase of use of the local highway network. Furthermore, the conscious coordination of the traffic flows to avoid peak times from the School and the proposed integrated Travel Plan will result in an acceptable level of impact.

7.5 The opening times of the Children's Centre will be 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, offering a 10 hour day, and the site usage will be 48 weeks a year, as required to meet the local needs of the community. As the Children's Centre is already offering some services such as day-care on an existing community facility, the proposed development is not considered to have any adverse amenity impact, such as noise or light pollution, and therefore any extension of hours will not have a significant adverse impact on local residents.

7.6 As there are no significant traffic or amenity impacts associated with the development, even though the Children's Centre will operate longer hours and for more days than the existing School, planning permission is recommended, subject to conditions.

1606/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; and in the afternoon between 1515 and 1545.

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 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.

Materials

(4) Samples and/or details of the materials and finishes to be used for the external walls and roofs of the proposed buildings shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing before the development commences.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity and to secure a satisfactory development.

Highways

(5) Measures shall be taken to prevent mud and spoil from vehicles leaving the site during the construction works being deposited on the public highway. These measures shall be implemented before the development commences and thereafter maintained. No vehicle shall leave the site unless its wheels have been cleaned sufficiently to prevent mud being carried onto the public highway. In the event that any mud or spoil is deposited on the highway, it shall be cleaned off at the end of each working day.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

(6) Within six months of the completion of the development a School Travel Plan shall be produced and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

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 Planning Guidance 13.

Landscaping

(7) The trees and/or hedges to be retained shall be protected during building operations by the erection of protective fencing in strict compliance with the requirements of the Local Planning Authority relating to their protection. The existing trees shall not be lopped, topped, felled or destroyed without the prior approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure the enhancement of the development by the retention of natural features.

(8) Within 12 months of the development commencing a detailed scheme of landscaping for the perimeter of the site shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval in writing. The scheme shall specify the types, size and species of all trees and shrubs to be planted; details of all trees to be retained; and details of fencing/enclosure of the site, phasing and timescales for carrying out the works, and provision for future maintenance. Any trees or shrubs which, within a period of five years from the date of planting, die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species. The scheme shall be implemented as approved.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity.

APPENDIX 2

Annexe to Reasons for Conditions

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

(General Procedure) Order 1995 - as amended)

__________________________________________________________________

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).

Landscape

Policy DW-E6 (Requirement for landscape scheme)

Development proposals shall include a landscape scheme covering the design and layout of external space where the local planning authority considers that:

a) due to the scale or nature of the development or sensitivity of the site, a landscape scheme is required to assist in mitigating the impact of development proposals on neighbours, or on the character of the area or on the setting of a settlement; and/or

b) the site contains natural features which it is important to protect and retain; and/or

c) a landscape scheme would contribute to the amenity of occupiers/users of the development and/or to public amenity; and/or

d) a landscape scheme would assist in achieving environmental improvements to the

site/neighbourhood including those identified in this local plan (paragraphs C1.19 to C1.23 below and Part F); and/or

e) a landscape scheme would assist in achieving a sustainable surface water drainage system.

Policy DW-R2 (Protection of private or education authority recreational facilities)

Permission will only be granted for the development of non-educational or non-recreational uses on school playing fields and other privately owned pitches, greens, and courts (including those identified on the proposals maps) if they are within defined built-up area and:

a) alternative open space facilities of equivalent direct benefit to the community and equivalent or better accessibility by a choice of transport modes are made available; or,

b) it is demonstrated that it is surplus to requirements in terms of all its functions; or

c) the proposals bring benefits to the community that outweigh the effects of the loss of open space.

The development should not result in the loss of an open area important to the character of the locality.

Within open spaces, small scale developments ancillary to the recreational use may be permitted provided that they are directly related to and support the recreational use, and maintain or enhance the character of the open space.