Meeting documents

Ms C Kelham, Senior Planning Officer, stated that Westfield School was a school for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and was located in Bourne End.  The number of pupils would be expanding from 52 to70.   Ms Kelham reported that since publication of the report for application CC/0050/19 the applicant had submitted a Construction Traffic Management Plan and an addendum to the report had been circulated to the committee members and would be appended to the minutes.  Appendix A contained a list of the updated recommendation conditions.

Ms Kelham provided a presentation showing photographs of the location of the school which was within a residential area, near the library and the railway station.  There were three main elements to the proposed development; the rear extension would be approximately 65 square metres in area and would have a flat roof to match the existing school.  The extension to the front of the school would also be flat roofed to match the existing building with an extended roof cover over the entrance with a pitched tiled roof and a canopy between the proposed extension and the existing school.  One car parking space would be removed but Ms Kelham stated there would be sufficient spaces for the school staff.  Photos were shown of the front of the school, the trees which would be removed, the car parking area and the area with the Wendy house.    There were no proposed changes to the school entrance.

Members of the committee raised and discussed the following points:

·     Following a comment by a member of the committee regarding concern over the flat roofed areas; Ms Kelham clarified that there was a very slight pitch to the roof; it would be described as a flat roof but was not totally flat.

·     A member of the committee asked for clarification on the ‘infilling’ and whether it would result in a decrease in the amount of light and ventilation.  Ms Kelham stated that roof lights would be installed and there would be windows on the west facing aspect.  Some of the light was already blocked by the existing building so there would not be a considerable change. The classroom had windows on the elevation.

·     A member of the committee queried whether there would be enough parking spaces with the increase in the number of pupils, staff and visitors.  It was also noted that the number of staff at the school was provided as full time equivalent (FTE) meaning there were a number of part-time staff who could all be on site at one time.  Ms Kelham agreed to bear this point in mind.

Ms J Caprio, District Lawyer and Legal Services Manager, clarified that the members of the Development Control Committee would be voting on the recommendation to approve planning permission subject to the schedule of conditions listed in Appendix A of the addendum.

RESOVLED:  The Development Control Committee APPROVED application number CC/0050/19- Front and rear single storey extensions to existing school and with car park alterations at Westfield School, Bourne End, subject to the amended conditions as set out in Appendix A of the addendum:

Time limit for commencement

1.    The development to which this permission relates must be begun within three years from the date of this consent.

Reason: To prevent the accumulation of unimplemented planning permissions, to enable the County Planning Authority to review the suitability of the development in the light of altered circumstances and to comply with the provisions of Section 91(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

Approved Drawings

2.    The development herby permitted shall not be carried out other than in complete accordance with the following drawings:

·     Drawing number: PL04, Revision B, Dated: July 2019 "Proposed Site Plan"

·     Drawing number: PL06, Revision B, Dated: July 2019 "Proposed Elevations"

·     Drawing number: PL05, Revision B, Dated: July 2019 "Proposed Ground Plan Floor"

·     Westfield School, Highfield Road, Bourne End, Application Site Boundary at 1:1250 (A4)

·     Drawing number: 10275 TPP 01, Revision -, Dated:  August 2019 "Westfield School, Highfield Road, Tree Protection Plan"

For the avoidance of doubt this includes the specified finishing materials.

Reason: To define the development which has been permitted so to control the operations and to comply with policy DM37 of the WDLP.

Pre-commencement Conditions

3.    Development shall not begin until a surface water drainage scheme for the site, based on sustainable drainage principles has been submitted to and approved in writing by the County Planning Authority. The scheme shall subsequently be implemented in accordance with the approved details before the development is completed. The scheme shall also include:

·       Capacity and condition assessment of the existing surface water drainage network and updating works where required

·       Calculations to demonstrate that the proposed drainage system can contain up to the 1 in 30 storm event without flooding. Any onsite flooding between the 1 in 30 and the 1 in 100 plus climate change storm event should be safely contained on site.

·       Consideration of incorporating SuDS

·       Confirmation of the proposed rate of discharge

·       Drainage layout detailing the connectivity between the dwelling(s) and the drainage component(s), together with storage volumes of all SuDS component(s)

·       Details of how and when the full drainage system will be maintained, this should also include details of who will be responsible for the maintenance

·       Details of proposed overland flood flow routes in the event of system exceedance or failure, with demonstration of flow direction

Reason:  To manage surface water and prevent flooding in accordance with policy DM38 and DM39 of WDLP.

4.    Should the development not commence by 1^st January 2020, the ecology survey and report submitted to support this application should be updated as recommended in section 6.2 of the Ecological Impact Assessment Report (ECOSA, July 2019).

Reason: To ensure that there are no changes in the assessment of potential impacts on protected species and/or other ecological features of interest in the time that has elapsed thereby ensuring protected species are safeguarded in accordance with policy DM34 of the WDLP.

Development Phase Conditions

5.    The development shall be carried out in accordance with the submitted Construction Traffic Management Plan, titled Construction Deliveries Statement Revision 1.

Reason: In order to prevent danger, obstruction and inconvenience to users of the highway and of the development during the construction of the development in accordance with policy DM33 of the WDLP.

Post Development Phase Conditions

6.    Prior to the initial occupation of the development, the scheme for parking and manoeuvring indicated on the submitted plans shall be laid out in accordance with the approved plans and that area shall not thereafter be used for any other purpose.

Reason: To enable vehicles to draw off, park and turn clear of the highway to minimise danger, obstruction and inconvenience to users of the adjoining highway in accordance with policy DM33 of the WDLP.

7.    Prior to the initial occupation of the development, a school travel plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the County Planning Authority. The plans shall include a named travel plan coordinator, a programme for facilitating the monitoring of the travel plan and full analysis of the existing modal split for staff and pupils at the school, detailed proposals for future sustainable transport promotion and provision, with the aim of securing no increase in the number of car movements generated on the school journey.

Reason: In order to promote more sustainable transport options in accordance with paragraph 102 of the NPPF and policy DM33 of the WDLP.

8.    Measures to mitigate the impact of the development on protected species and other ecological features of interest and measures for enhancement shall be implemented in accordance with the details set out in Section 5 of the Ecological Impact Assessment Report (ECOSA, July 2019).

Reason: To ensure that protected species are safeguarded at all phases of development and to ensure a net gain for biodiversity in accordance with policy DM34 of the WDLP.

On-going Conditions

9.    For the duration of occupation of the development, the school travel plan shall be reviewed annually and updated. In the event of an increase in the number of car movements as identified in the school travel plan, the school shall undertake measures, as identified in the travel plan, as necessary to promote a reduction in the number of car borne trips.

Reason: In order to promote more sustainable transport options in accordance with paragraph 102 of the NPPF and policy DM33 of the WDLP.