Contact: Martin Leeds, tel. 01962 846733 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for the construction of a 1-Form Entry extension to the existing Primary School to accommodate an extra 210 pupils, together with provision of additional sports pitch and associated external works (including landscaping/fencing), at Elvetham Heath Primary School, The Key, Elvetham Heath, Fleet. Planning consent is recommended.

2. Recommendation

That planning permission for construction of a 1-Form Entry Extension to the Primary School, sports pitch and associated landscape works at Elvetham Heath Primary School, The Key, Elvetham Heath, Fleet be granted for the following reason, and subject to the 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.

3. Site

3.1 The existing 2 Form Entry Primary School, as shown on the attached plan, is a modern brick and tiled development within a mixed area comprising housing, a large supermarket, community facilities, church and open space, including community playing fields/tennis courts and children's play areas.

The school buildings and their playing fields are situated north-east of housing whilst north of the playing fields is a local collector road that has access to a public car park with further housing to the north of that. South-west of the school is the staff parking area which adjoins a church. South-west of the school's playing field are sports pitches operated by Hart District Council. On the opposite side of the road (called The Key) to the staff car park is the large car park for the main supermarket.

3.2 The overall school campus has a relatively gentle slope from its north-western area to the south-eastern part with a total fall of around 2.5 metres.

4. Proposal

4.1 As a result of the development of new homes at Elvetham Heath and the increased demand for places at the Primary School, it is necessary to provide accommodation for a further 210 pupil places. A 1-Form Entry extension is therefore required which, once complete and occupied, will make the School a 3-Form Entry, bringing the total provision for the School to 630 pupil places. These pupils would be accommodated in 21 classrooms, the children's ages ranging from 4 to 11 years.

4.2 The proposed single-storey extension, which would be constructed in a similar design and materials (matching bricks/roofing tiles/cedar timber cladding, etc) to the existing School building, is to be built west of the existing linear teaching block and connected to it by a covered link. Because of the topography of the site, there will be a difference of floor levels of approximately one metre between the existing finished floor level and those of the new development. This level difference will necessitate the installation of a ramp in the link block; the ramp giving accessibility to non-ambulant users throughout.

4.3 The extension will principally be naturally lit and ventilated, with many of the rooms taking advantage of the steeply-pitched roofs to create high "airy" spaces. To enhance the natural daylight in these rooms, large sky lights will be added to the pitched roof.

4.4 Although landscape details have not been decided at present - they will be required as a planning reserved matter - the works outside are intended to provide a new hard court, grass pitch, natural and informal areas as follows:

(i) a shared use junior-size grass playing field agreed as part of a separate legal agreement with Hart District Council (see paragraphs 4.5 and 4.6 below for clarification of this);

(ii) a new single netball court-sized playground adjacent to the neighbouring tennis courts and linked by gates to the new grass pitch/community tennis courts;

(iii) informal paved areas accessible directly from the new classrooms;

(iv) a new Early Years enclosed play area linking to nature study areas and the new formal playground; and

(v) other soft-grassed areas which could be enhanced by the school.

4.5 To enable the development of the Primary School extension, the County Council is seeking to acquire a long leasehold interest in 0.47 hectares of land to the south-west of the existing school building. The land currently forms part of an adult football pitch, being part of the public open space administered by Hart District Council. To overcome this loss of adult football pitch, the County Council is entering into a Legal Agreement with Hart District Council, and Beazer Homes Limited as the freeholder, for a financial contribution for the laying of a new adult sports pitch at Hitches Lane, Fleet. Hitches Lane is approximately a mile away from the Elvetham Heath Primary School. Provisional terms have been agreed between the respective parties.

4.6 The school extension and associated works will include the reinstatement to a junior-size grass football pitch with an improved surface on part of the remaining existing adult football pitch close to the school's land. This will be fenced and used by the school during the school day, but will remain part of the existing public open space and continue to be available through Hart District Council for open space purposes/organised matches outside of school hours. Reinstatement of this junior pitch will be covered by planning condition.

4.7 The existing public car parking area to the north of the school playing fields will provide the capacity for an additional 11 staff car spaces, the use of the car park having been negotiated and agreed with Hart District Council. Also leading from this car park into the school site is to be an improved pedestrian access and emergency fire access.

4.8 There is already a School Travel Plan which, in the light of the proposed new extension, will need updating on completion of the development.

5. Development Plan

5.1 Hart District Local Plan (Replacement) 1996-2006 (Adopted December 2002) shows the site as being a part-developed estate although not annotated for specific uses, such as school, supermarket, etc., and within the defined Settlement and Inset Boundary for Fleet. The proposed development accords with Policy GEN 1 (General Policy for Development and Change of Use). See Appendix 2 for fuller details of this Policy.

5.2 In February 1999 the Elvetham Heath Design Brief was approved by Hart District Council as Supplementary Planning Guidance to the adopted Local Plan. The Design Brief has a section dealing with Open Space including sports pitches. The new school extension would encroach onto part of the Central Open Space, however, as this encroachment is considered to be relatively small, in planning terms it is not classed as a material departure from the Local Plan.

6. Consultations

6.1 Hart District Council - comments awaited.

6.2 Sport England advised at the pre-application stage it had no objection in principle to the proposed development subject to locating the junior pitch. However, its formal response to the application is now awaited.

6.3 Environment Agency objects to the proposed development as submitted on the following grounds:

"The proposed development does not include an FRA (Flood Risk Assessment) and may be at an unacceptable risk of surface water flooding, and may increase the risk of surface water flooding elsewhere."

6.4 Highway Authority has no objection in principle subject to conditions, but considers, given the improved access point on the north, the impact of any additional traffic will be contained locally. This additional traffic would only be for those limited periods of time when drop-off/pick-up, occurred at the school. Furthermore, it will relieve existing congestion at the current main school entrance in The Key.

6.5 The local Member, Councillor Wheale, has been informed.

7. Representations

7.1 At the time of preparing the report, no letters of representation have been received.

8. Commentary

8.1 The proposed development is within the defined Settlement Boundary for Fleet on the adopted Local Plan and therefore in principle there is no objection to it. Although the new extension will encroach onto part of the designated existing Open Space, the land-take in this particular case is considered not to be a departure from the Local Plan. Moreover, the County Council (in agreement with Hart District Council and the freeholders of that land), will partly off-set the loss of the adult playing pitch by funding some improvements for the sports complex that will operate at Hitches Lane (Fleet).

8.2 Regarding the objection by the Environment Agency that a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) was not included with the application, the site is not in a flood zone. However, the FRA issue is being examined, and it will be a planning condition for one to be submitted and approved before development is commenced.

8.3 On balance, planning permission is recommended.

1622/ML

APPENDIX 1

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) Before any development is commenced a Flood Risk Assessment shall be submitted in writing to, and approved by, the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure adequate flooding protection.

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

Reason: To secure a satisfactory development.

(4) No works shall commence until full details of all the hard and soft landscaped areas, including any fencing to be provided, have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. All hard and soft landscape works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved plans, such that within the first available planting season following commencement of use of the new extension, the planting shall have been implemented. any new planting that dies within three years from its initial planting shall be replaced as soon as posssible.

Reason: In the interest of visual amenity.

(5) On completion of the building works for the new extensions, that part of the site which had been used for the contractor's compound, shall be fully reinstated to a sports pitch finish so that within a period of 24 months (or earlier if possible) from the date of completions of the extensions, the sports pitch shall be available for use.

Reason: To ensure that the sports pitch has been properly provided.

(6) Measures shall be taken to prevent mud and spoil from vehicles leaving the site during the construction works being deposited on the access road through a public car park and 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 on to the public highway. In the event that any mud or spoil is deposited on the highway, it shall be cleaned off on each day of working.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

(7) A temporary car park to accommodate operatives' and construction vehicles during the construction period shall be made available within the site and retained for the duration of the building works. Appropriate sturdy fencing shall be erected around this temporary car park, in the event that a separate area has to be prepared to accommodate the vehicles.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

(8) There shall be no access to the development site by any traffic associated with the construction (ie no delivery vehicles, no contractors' cars, nor plant and machinery) in the morning between 0830 and 0915 hours, and in the afternoon between 1500 and 1530 hours 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.

(9) 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 Monday to Friday inclusive, before 0800 hours or after 1600 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.

APPENDIX 2

Annexe to Reason for Condition

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

(General Procedure) Order 1995 - as amended)

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HART DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN (REPLACEMENT) 1996-2006 (ADOPTED DECEMBER 2002)

Policy GEN 1 (General Policy for Development and Change of Use)

Proposals for development which accord with other proposals of this Plan will be permitted where they:

(i) Are in keeping with the local character by virtue of their scale, design, massing, height, prominence, materials, layout, landscaping, siting and density;

(ii) Avoid any material loss of amenity to existing and adjoining residential, commercial, recreational, agricultural or forestry users, by virtue of noises, disturbance, noxious fumes, dust, pollution or traffic generation;

(iii) Cause no material loss of amenity to adjoining residential uses, through loss of privacy, overlooking or the creation of shared facilities;

(iv) Do not constitute ribbon or sporadic development unrelated patterns of settlement within the District;

(v) Where the public would reasonably expect to use the building, provide suitable access for people with impaired mobility, including those confined to wheelchairs;

(vi) Have adequate arrangements on site for access, servicing or the parking of vehicles.