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DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AND REGULATION COMMITTEE A Report by the Assistant Director - Planning & Sustainability 23 March 2011 _____________________________________________________________________ Application No: 6/11/9001 District: Barrow Applicant: Cumbria County Council The Courts Carlisle Date of Receipt: 22 December 2010 _____________________________________________________________________ PROPOSAL New build Academy building for 1,200 Pupils set over 2 and 3 storeys located on existing sports pitch area. Pedestrian and vehicular access provided from Park Drive. Provision for new teaching and external sports facilities (Multi Use Games Area and artificial pitch). Furness Academy South (Formerly Park View School), West Avenue, Barrow-in-Furness, LA13 9AY _____________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION 1.1 That planning permission is granted for the reasons stated in Appendix 1 and subject to the conditions in Appendix 2. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 It is proposed to construct a new Academy building for 1,200 pupils within the grounds of the former Park View School 2.2 Furness Academy is presently a 1600 pupil (11-16 years) Academy formed from amalgamating the Alfred Barrow, Thorncliffe and Parkview Schools in 2009 and currently operates from two sites, the former Thorncliffe School site (north campus) and the former Parkview School site (south campus). The existing South Campus buildings accommodate 968 pupils and the previous Parkview School capacity was 1102. (A further 615 students are based at the North Campus). It is proposed that the existing Park View school buildings would remain in use until 2014/2015 when pupil numbers are predicated to fall to around 1200 and the existing school buildings would close. 2.3 The proposed academy building would have a footprint of 4,865sq m, with a flat roof and would have red facing brick, aluminium framed glazed curtain walling, colour render panels and an exposed painted steel colonnade over the front elevation which wraps around part of the north west elevation. The applicants state that red sandstone and Furness brick are not used in the façade treatment due to cost constraints and the lack of availability of the quantities required for the construction programme. However, they state that colour choice for the red facing brick will be sampled from the weathered coloured examples in the immediate area. 2.4 Forming an integral part of the new facility would be an energy centre which would incorporate a bio mass boiler. 2.5 The proposed facility would provide an indoor sports hall, a five court Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) to the rear of the new buildings, a junior third generation all weather sports pitch to the north of the proposed new buildings and would utilize existing sports fields, running track and an existing MUGA. The proposal does not include floodlighting of the sports pitches. 2.6 Community use of the sports facilities and other facilities within the school is proposed. 2.7 A new vehicular access would be provided off Park Drive, opposite Barrow Park, alongside new pedestrian entrances, separated from vehicles. A pedestrian access would also be provided via the existing access point on Lesh Lane (to the rear of the site). A new 150 space car park (including 6 disabled users) would be provided adjacent to the new building. 2.8 Existing boundary fencing will be retained and repair/replaced where necessary and elsewhere new perimeter fencing is proposed for site security and safety. 2.9 The Academy is sponsored by the Furness College, University of Cumbria and Barrow Sixth Form College. The new Academy building would be the last of four being developed within Cumbria. 3.0 CONSULTATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS 3.1 Barrow Borough Council objects to the proposal on the following grounds: a) The proposal is contrary to Policy D26 of the saved Local Plan which seeks to protect open space from development. The location of the proposed new building complex, including general site paraphernalia of car parking, sports facilities and access roads, would physically and visually intrude and adversely affect the open space. National, Regional and Local Policy seek the appropriate reuse of existing buildings and brownfield land b) The option analysis on the location of the building is flawed. It fails to take into account other land and buildings within the applicant‟s control which abut the site and which would minimise the proposal‟s impact on the protected open space. The option analysis fails to adopt a credible sequential approach to site selection c) The proposal is contrary to D21 of the saved Local Plan and national guidance because the design quality is poor, lacking overall style and coherence. In particular the side elevations which are highly prominent have a very poor standard of design. This is a summary of the grounds for objection and a full copy of the letter (along with all representations) will be available for members to inspect prior to committee. 3.2 The Highway Authority recommend that a number of conditions are imposed relating to a Travel Plan, off-site highway works, including a new informal pedestrian crossing point on Park Drive, external lighting and control of surface water run-off. 3.3 The Environment Agency state the site is located within Flood Zone 1 and the risk of flooding from rivers or the sea is low. The applicants have submitted a flood risk assessment for the management of surface water run-off. The scheme proposes the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in the form of permeable surfaces, swales, designated storage area for exceedance events and a cellular storm water attenuation tank. The volume of attenuation required is based on a 1 in 30 year storm event plus 30% climate change. The Agency recommend two conditions relating to the surface water run-off generated up to a 1 in 100 year critical storm plus climate change will be contained within the site and therefore not increase the risk of flooding off-site and that discharge rates to the public sewer to be approved in writing. 3.4 Sport England raised an objection to the submitted scheme on the basis of the loss of playing pitches. An amended drawing was received which showed the addition, with some regrading works, of a junior sized football pitch, in the north eastern corner of the site. The applicants also provided further information on the need for the new artificial grass pitch. This stated that this facility would have a positive impact on the curriculum requirements of the Academy and would allow for a number of sports to be accommodated including football, rugby and small sided hockey. The facility would be used more intensively for sport and P.E due to the more durable playing surface which would be a further benefit given that a number of the grass pitches are poorly drained which limits the amount of use particularly during the winter months. The applicants also state that the new facility would help in establishing inter-schools sports competitions and would be the only facility of its type in the locality following the alteration of the only other artificial grass pitch to a goals soccer Centre. Sport England state that it is clear from the above comments that the new artificial grass pitch will offer some significant benefits to the Academy in terms of being able to sustain more sporting use on the facility, particularly during the winter months. In addition, they are mindful of the fact that this in turn could benefit the retained grass pitches at the school in terms of reducing the intensity of use on these pitches allowing them to rest and recover particularly during poorer weather. Sport England have therefore withdrawn their objection to the planning application subject to conditions relating to the detailed design and specification of the sports facilities, the phasing of the development and community use of the sports facilities. 3.5 United Utilities have no objections provided surface water run-off should be no greater then the current greenfield run off and the site must be drained on a separate system with only foul drainage connected into the foul sewer. 3.6 The applicants held an exhibition in Forum 28 from 24th January for a week. The display was attended by representatives of the applicants and their agents between 12.30pm and 7.00pm on Thursday 27th Jan. During that afternoon approximately 20 people attended ranging from Barrow Councillors, residents from Park Drive and West Avenue, as well as prospective pupils. Reaction was mixed; from great new facilities to the loss of the green space. 3.7 22 letters of support for the scheme have been received, a number of these are from staff at the Academy. A summary of the comments are: - The new plans will afford all students a fantastic facility in which to learn and the sooner those plans are made a reality then the sooner our children will begin to benefit from them. Please don‟t allow this great opportunity to pass our children by. - I am disturbed to have found out that the development is already going to suffer a one term delay which means the Academy is due to be open in January 2013. Any more delays are clearly not acceptable if the ultimate reason is caused by planning proposals not being approved. I have no objections to the building plans proposed as the design of the buildings and overall location layout will have a positive impact on the area. - The current situation is intolerable, as both buildings are far from fit for their purpose of delivering education in the 21st Century. The practicalities of operating across two sites also interfere with the delivery of first class education. 3.8 The Barrow Borough member for Parkside ward, which includes the site, supports the scheme.