Agenda item
Byron Court Primary School, Spencer Road, Wembley, HA0 3SF (Ref.15/4523)
Decision:
Granted planning permission subject to conditions as recommended and additional conditions for a work buffer of 5m to be implemented beyond the roots zone of the trees in the location; the gate be set back 10m from the school on Nathans Road; and amendment to condition 27 to specify applicable hours in the car management plan.
Minutes:
PROPOSAL: Demolition of eight existing buildings on site comprising 4x teaching blocks, 1x shelter, 1x shed, 1x storage/garage and 1x kitchen and dining facilities and construction of new part single and part two storey building (to accommodate expansion of the school from 3 form to 5 form entry primary school), all-weather MUGA to include the reconfiguration of the School’s playing field and associated landscaping and parking, upgrading of the Nathans Road access and temporary permission for the erection of a single teaching block (2x classrooms) for use until July 2017.
RECOMMENDATION: Grant planning permission subject to the conditions set out in the Draft Decision Notice.
David Glover (Area Planning Manager) outlined the scheme and referenced the supplementary report which contained officers’ responses to issues raised at the site visit. In terms of visibility in Nathans Road, he reported that in addition to the speed cushions on either side of the crossover, Transportation had also requested aspeedtable outside the entrancewhichwould extendto the adjoining propertiesandthe opposite drivewaysand would further helpmanage the speed outsidethe school entrance. He continued that tracking diagrams provided in the Construction ManagementPlan demonstrated that access can be achieved fromNathansRoad bytippertrucks,cementmixersandmobilecranes.
Members were advised that the proposed hours for community access to the MUGA would be comparable to other schoolswithin the borough and therefore the level of use envisaged was notexpected to result insignificant levelsoftrafficor disturbance to local residents. In respect of the Travel Plan, he continued that OfficersinTransportation had advisedthatthe TravelPlan generallymet with standards and that more emphasison the parkand stride option, centred around NorthwickPark,withmore ambitious targets was required.The applicanthad also advised thatthe use ofshuttleschoolbuses froma "park& ride" location waslooked at but was not considered a suitablemeasurefor a primaryschool,given the localcatchmentwhich provided suitable opportunities forwalking and cycling/ scooting.Instead, park& stridemeasures were considered more suitableto reduce existingtraffic impact,asproposed at NorthwickParkcarpark,aswellaswalking bus proposals.
David Glover then referred to a submission by Councillor Perrin and members of Sudbury Court Residents’ Association (SCRA) regarding signatories to the objections and clarified that the referenceto itasa petition did not diminishtheweightgiven to the objectionsorthe factthata verylarge numberofpeople were objectingto the proposals.He also referred to a suggestion by Barry Gardiner MP for a site visit during weekday which would provide a proper reflection of the traffic impact and submitted that the Council's Highways service visited the site on multiple instances to observe the traffic conditions and had provided information regarding this. The observations were taken into account when providing their views on the proposal.
Suzanne D’Souza speaking on behalf of SCRA stated that the proposed expansion of the school from 3 form entry (3FE) to 5 form entry (5FE) constituted an over-development of the site. She continued that the school’s Travel Plan and the traffic assessment were inadequate to address the level of traffic and parking which would be unacceptably high in the surrounding area, giving rise to health and safety issues. She added that this point had been confirmed by officers who had major concerns for pupil safety. Despite the school having a silver rated Travel Plan, even on the existing 3FE the traffic problems around the school were still unresolved. There had been failed attempts by the school, the Safer Neighbourhood Team, the local councillors and the Council to resolve the problems. She therefore stated that the revised Travel Plan would be inadequate to deal with the increase in pupil numbers, most of whom would come from outside the catchment area. With regards to the park & stride proposal, she highlighted the fact that the Transportation officers stated that this was essential to deal with the traffic problems from such an expansion but the school had admitted the trialled take up had been poor. Finally she added that as the Council had not notified about 1,500 residents who signed the SCRA objection letter about the committee meeting or site visit, the proposed expansion should not proceed.
In accordance with the provisions of the Planning Code of Practice, Councillor Perrin (ward member) stated that he had been approached by the residents. Councillor Perrin informed the Committee that 1,500 residents who objected to the proposed expansion of the school were not notified of the committee meeting or site visit and therefore had been denied the opportunity to respond. He added that the school was unable to enforce the existing Travel Plan and the revised Travel Plan was inadequate as it relied on park & stride, which was impractical. His analysis of the potential use of the car park showed at least 200 cars during the existing school run. An extra 299 car journeys would be generated by the expansion according to the report. This would require 324 cars entering and exiting a single carriageway in 30 minutes, the equivalent of a car every 5 seconds. Due to other logistical issues with the use of the car park, such as cars arriving at the same time, numbers of staff required to collect 160 children, whether parents would drive past the school to use the car park etc. he stated the park & stride would not address the traffic problems generated by the expansion.
He also stated that historically police and parking enforcement had failed to deal with the current traffic problems which are exacerbated by commuter parking and an increase in Northwick Park Hospital staff using the roads. He stated that parking enforcement was lacking and was imperative to any potential solution. Councillor Perrin continued that the report by the Council’s Highways officers was inadequate in several respects to support the application, especially its reliance on the park & stride scheme and urged members to refuse the application.
Cllr Perrin queried whether the committee had considered the detailed representations he had submitted prior to the meeting. Mr Weeks confirmed members and officers had received the representations but due to lack of time before the meeting they had not had an opportunity to consider them in full.
Martin Clark (Executive Headteacher) and John Grantham (applicant’s agent) addressed the Committee. The Executive Headteacher summarised the rationale for the expansion of the school from 3FE to 5FE adding that concerns about traffic and parking would be addressed through a relentless Travel Plan to support the application. The agent added that the demonstrable need for the expansion had been established by the Council’s Capital Programme officers who were on hand to offer further information to the Committee. He stated that there were no material planning reasons for refusal as the siting and layout of new school buildings within the school site complied with SPG17 guidance and would not adversely impact on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers. Cheryl Andani (Capital Programme Manager) informed members that a report about the increase in school places to meet the growing deficit in the borough had been agreed by the Cabinet. She added that the resulting surplus at Byron Court school would be filled with children from other planning areas: (PA1 – Queensbury, Fryent and Welsh Harp and PA3 – Wembley, Sudbury and Tokyngton), which would increase the number of children travelling in cars. She confirmed that there would be a 2FE surplus in planning area 2 if the expansion was approved. In relation to the Council meeting its duty to provide a reasonable offer to children from these other planning areas – a place within 2 miles of home for 5-8 year olds – she could not say whether these areas would meet the distance requirement.
Members then raised questions about the school’s Travel Plan and generally about the traffic impact of the proposed application including the feasibility of an off-site park and ride scheme, which would reduce the number of cars entering the roads adjoining the school. In response to members’ questions, the applicant’s agent stated that through a mix of encouragement to parents to engage in responsible parking and staggered parking, the Travel Plan would adequately address the traffic impact of the application. He added that park and ride was considered but was not found to be practical. Instead the focus would be on a scheme for a car share and park and stride.
Tony Kennedy (Head of Transportation) attended the meeting to respond to queries on highways’ issues presented by the application. He stated that officers were aware of the current congestion problems around the school during drop off and pick up and to address that, Highways officers had recommended that additional measures be secured to mitigate the potential increase in traffic and parking on the roads, including improvements to the Travel Plan and Highways improvements. These would include junction improvements around Nathans Road, raised tables, weight and waiting restrictions, traffic enforcement officers and proposed park and stride measures for the Northwick Car Park. He advised members that the Travel Plan which would incorporate better targets, taking into consideration the increase in staff, would be challenging, monitored and checked annually to ensure its effectiveness. Mr Kennedy talked the members through the road plans showing the proposed highways improvements as this information had only been made available to the members immediately prior to the meeting.
DECISION: Granted planning permission subject to conditions as recommended and additional conditions for a work buffer of 5m to be implemented beyond the roots zone of the trees in the location; the gate be set back 10m from the school on Nathans Road; and amendment to condition 27 to specify applicable hours in the car management plan - (4 in support; 3 against; 1 abstention).
Supporting documents: