Meeting documents

To consider a report by the Head of Planning.

The Committee considered a report by the Head of Planning on planning application 3/17/2868/DCC for the construction of a new Wimborne First School on Burt’s Hill, Wimborne, to replace the existing first school in School Lane. An associated nursery school was also to be incorporated into the school build.

For context, the Committee were provided with a visual presentation and, having regard to the Update Sheet provided for members prior to the meeting, officers described the main proposals and planning issues in detail, covering the key elements of the school development. Plans and photographs provided an illustration of the location and design of the school, showing its form, mass and size and the materials to be used. The presentation also confirmed what the highways, traffic management, parking and access arrangements - including pedestrian access - being proposed would be, showed playing field provision, together with the school’s relationship with other residential development and civic amenities in Wimborne and its setting within the proposed new Cranborne Road/Minster Gate neighbourhood development.

Through the use of cross sections and photographs, officers specifically highlighted the relationship between the proposed school and the properties in Walford Close. The existing and proposed boundary treatment was described as was the potential for overlooking of the properties in Walford Close from the school grounds. The concerns from some local residents as to the potential for increased surface water flooding from the re-profiled ground was stated by officers. Officers stated that the grant of any permission would be subject to conditions dealing the provision of an appropriate surface water drainage strategy that would first be agreed by the Council’s Flood Risk Management Team.

Members were provided with view across the site from various directions. How the development would be screened and what would be used to do this, how the land was to be reprofiled and landscaped, including the impact on Walford Close, were all described. Officers referred to the detailed design, including the schools construction and the materials to be used. Officers also explained the context of the development in relation to the characteristics of the surrounding town and landscape, the local highway network, the topography of the area and the relationship between the development and the adjoining Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The school’s design was based on the Government’s Baseline Design, which was the principal means of meeting central government requirements for well designed and cost effective school construction and for attracting the necessary funding. The Committee were informed that the provision of the new school was in accordance with the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework and Christchurch and East Dorset District Local Plan.

Officers explained the need for a new school, which was designed to have sufficient  capacity to meet the projected needs of a new housing development in that part of Wimborne and to replace the current school, which was now deemed to not to be fit for purpose or able to fulfil that demand.

Officers explained that, having established the need for a new school, the proposed development was designed to provide the capability of delivering a full educational curriculum which satisfied modern standards and expectations.

Responses to the consultation exercise - amongst others - were that, whilst East Dorset District Council raised no objections to the principle of the school and its siting, it raised concern at highway safety and parking. Wimborne Minster Town Council similarly welcomed a new school being built, but considered that more attention should be given to the consequences of parking needs and road safety and suggested what this provision should be.

Of particular note was how access to the school was to be addressed and what arrangements there were proposed for parking and the dropping off and collection of children. The design of the new school provided for three access points, which would limit the effects of congestion if only a single entrance was available and provided some choice, depending on direction of travel. Incentives, designed to make access to the school other than by car more attractive, were outlined, with highway improvement works and management – amongst other measures - providing for this. Sustainable means of accessing the school were to be encouraged , i.e. walking, cycling and the like, with footway widening schemes being proposed to enable safer routes to school to be accessed. Much consideration had been given to how children would travel to school, with a School Travel Plan playing an important part in this, giving every encouragement to as much opportunity as possible to access the school by a healthy, safe and sustainable means. Town centre parking would be some 600m from the site and so within walking distance, albeit further than the existing school. Officers confirmed where cycle routes were to run and what routes would made accessible and it was confirmed that, as far as practicable, these would be connected, to allow for a seamless journey. Allenview Road was seen to have sufficient capacity to contribute significantly towards this. Officers confirmed that public transport needs had been factored into the proposals to enable children to be picked up and set down as close to the school as possible.

This concern – over adequate parking arrangements and what would be the consequence of this – was raised in representations received from local residents. However officers were confident that this issue could be satisfactorily managed by conditions and by way of a School Travel Plan. This plan would be shared with the school, staff and parents to try to encourage more children and their parents to walk some part, maybe the final part, of their journey if they could. 

Moreover, ‘Safer Routes to School’ and a Highways Improvement Plan, indicating alternative parking provision and walking routes to give pedestrians access to the new site, together with the wider highway improvements which were being undertaken by the housing developer would all contribute towards a sustainable journey to school.  

On that basis, officers were recommending that permission be granted for the approval of the application.

The opportunity was then given for public speaking. The Committee first heard from Wimborne Minster Town Councillor, Pat Hymers, who, whilst pleased that there                                                                                                                                                                                                         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to be a new first school for Wimborne, expressed concern at the perceived consequences of the proposed parking arrangements which she considered to be inadequate and would be detrimental to residents of neighbouring streets. A petition had been organised by residents of Allenview Road about this. She asked for consideration to be given to a series of measures which she felt would go some way to addressing this, including traffic management measures and waiting restrictions for those streets surrounding the development, additional off-street parking provision and asked whether there was scope for a school crossing patrol to assist in road safety.

The Committee then heard from Paul Scothern, the applicant, who confirmed the need for the new school to be able to accommodate the projected increase in the number of school places arising from the new resident development and to meet existing need and the County Council’s obligation to be able to meet its statutory responsibility in terms of having sufficient school places available in that part of Wimborne.

Mr Scothern explained that in recognition of the concerns raised about parking, arrangements had been made with the residential site developer, Bloor Homes, and the Council’s Highways Team, in addressing that by way of highway improvements, under the S106 agreement for the development.  In confirming that the County Council’s policy did not permit parent parking on school sites - in striving to encourage more active and sustainable lifestyle choices - as a consequence the infrastructure of Minster Gate was designed to be able to accommodate casual parking needs and was sufficient to deal with the needs of parents’ travel options.

The Committee was then provided with the opportunity to ask questions of the

officer’s presentation and about what they had heard, and took the opportunity to have their understanding of what the application entailed clarified, with officer’s providing clarification in respect of the points raised. The Committee acknowledged - and accepted - the principle of the need for a new school and the benefits this would bring to Wimborne Minster.

During their questions to offciers, the Committee gave consideration to the following:-

·         how parking and dropping off provision would be addressed satisfactorily;

·         how the School Travel Plan would be implemented so as to play its part in achieving this;

·         what arrangements were in place for flooding mitigation and management;

·         what capability there was for cycling provision;

·         the routes designated for this and how they connected;

·         what improvements were being implemented to address congestion at certain junctions across the town and;

·         what measures there were to mitigate against potential nuisance from ball games.

·         fencing and lighting considerations.

Officers clarified what was being proposed to address these issues and were confident that those measures would be satisfactory to manage all that was necessary. Officers acknowledged that whilst there might be some initial issues to be resolved over parking, there was enough scope in what was being proposed to deal with this satisfactorily and proportionality. On the issue of flooding in particular, officers confirmed that the detail of the finalised scheme was proposed to be delegated to officers to agree, this being the usual practice in such circumstances. Other, more formal, options were available but were considered by Committee to be unnecessary. The Senior Solicitor confirmed that this course of action was appropriate in the circumstances.  

Whilst recognising the policy encouraging the use of sustainable transport, members remained concerned, to some extent, at the issue of inadequate parking provision as they saw it given that, in practice, parents would habitually take their children to school by car, especially in poor weather, and that there would be a consequence of this to neighbouring residents. 

The County Councillor for Wimborne considered the application to be acceptable largely and was pleased to see that Wimborne was getting a new first school, although he wanted to ensure that  parking needs would be addressed satisfactorily and any School Travel Plan monitored to ensure it was doing what it was designed to do. He also considered that a review of Central Government policy was necessary about school parking provision and how this was applied.

The Committee recognised the need for the replacement school and considered that what was being proposed would provide for a modern, vibrant school, capable of delivering a full educational curriculum which would benefit the pupils attending that school. Having had an opportunity to discuss the merits of the application, and having understood what was being proposed, members considered that sufficient measures were either in place, or being planned, to address those issues which had been raised. It was acknowledged to be beneficial that there were three points of entry to the school and, for the School Travel Plan to be successful, there was a need for this to be closely monitored to see that it was addressing the issues at hand.

Given this, and having taken into account the officer’s report, what they had heard at

the meeting from the case officer, legal advisor and invited speakers, on that basis - and on being put to the vote – the Committee considered that the planning application should be approved and planning permission granted, subject to the conditions set out in the officer’s report and having regard to the Update Sheet and subject to this being on the basis that authority be delegated to officers to agree any conditions necessary in light of any Environment Agency response received to flooding issues in securing a satisfactory drainage scheme in agreement with Flood Risk Management and the conditions set out in the report.

Resolved

That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 9.1 of the Head of Planning’s report and subject to authority being delegated to officers to agree any conditions necessary in light of any Environment Agency response received to flooding issues in securing a satisfactory drainage scheme in agreement with Flood Risk Management and the conditions set out in the report.

Reason for Decision

The reasoning for the decision is as set out in the conclusion - in paragraphs 6.69 to 6.76 of the report.