Planning Statement

Planning Statement Property / Land at: Stamford High School Sports Pitch and Pavilion, Kettering Road, Stamford Application Proposal: Demolition of existing pavilion, erection of new sports centre, change of use of agricultural land to sports pitch, installation of 2 replacement sports pitches and floodlights, and alteration to access On Behalf Of: Stamford Endowed Schools Our Reference: 20-003/KW/jh Agent: Kate Wood BA(HONS) MRTPI Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3 2 The Site: Location and Context ................................................................................ 5 3 Planning History and Background to the Proposal ................................................ 6 4 Relevant Planning Policies and Constraints............................................................ 8 5 Assessment and Justification of the Application ................................................. 12 6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 18 Appendix 1 SKDC Relevant Planning Policies .............................................................. 19 Appendix 2 Emerging Stamford Neighbourhood Plan Policies ...................................... 27 Appendix 3 Flood Risk Map (Environment Agency) ............................................... 29 Stamford Endowed Schools Page 2 Kettering Road, Stamford 1 Introduction This Planning Statement is submitted on behalf of Stamford Endowed Schools in support of the application proposal, in order to give additional detailed information to officers and consultees assessing the application and to inform the general public, neighbours and others with an interest in the proposal about the development. The application site crosses the boundary between South Kesteven and Peterborough. For this reason, duplicate applications are required to be submitted to each Authority. Most of the site is within South Kesteven, including the existing and proposed pavilion and most of the existing pitch. The area to the south of the pitch, into which the proposed new pitches will be extended, falls within Peterborough City Council area. For this reason, this Planning Statement assesses the application mainly in relation to SKDC policies. However, as PCC will also be considering the application, reference is also made to compliance with PCC policies. We also make reference to the emerging Stamford Neighbourhood Plan, given that it has reached submission stage. Given that most of the site falls within South Kesteven, SKDC officers have taken the lead in pre-application discussions, with PCC being kept up to date and consulted on matters such as the viewpoints for the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA). SKDC has not adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), so the application is not accompanied by CIL forms. No new building is to take place within PCC area, so CIL is not applicable to the part of the site that falls within Peterborough. The application is comprised of the following plans and documents: • Application Forms • This Planning Statement • Design & Access Statement • Statement of Community Involvement • Heritage Statement • Geophysical Survey (archaeology) • Geo-environmental Assessment • Topographical Survey • Utilities Survey • Location Plan • Block Plan • Existing Site Plan • Existing Site Plan – Demolitions • Proposed Site Plan • Proposed Elevations • Proposed Floor Plan • Proposed Roof Plan • Proposed Building Sections • Cut and Fill Formation Plan • Pitch Technical Information • Existing Floodlighting Scheme • Proposed Floodlighting Scheme • Lighting Datasheets • Pitch Layout Plan • Drainage Plan • Pitch Fencing and Lighting Elevations Stamford Endowed Schools Page 3 Kettering Road, Stamford • Illustrated Masterplan • Proposed Site Sections • Landscape Proposals – General Arrangement Plan • Landscape Proposals – Vegetation Retention and Removals • Tree Survey • Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement • Ecological Impact Assessment • Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment • Noise Assessment • Flood Risk Assessment • Highways and Transport Note (including existing access arrangements plan and proposed access improvements and vehicle tracking plan) Stamford Endowed Schools Page 4 Kettering Road, Stamford 2 The Site: Location and Context The application site, outlined in red on the location plan, lies to the south of Kettering Road on the southwestern edge of Stamford. The building is known as the Millennium Pavilion having been constructed in 2000. The site comprises part of the wider Stamford School site, the nearest part of which (the Junior School) lies to the north of Kettering Road and beyond that to the north of the railway line via a footbridge access. To the east is a new development of 5 houses, currently under construction. To the west, across Kettering Road, are sports fields associated with the school. To the south are fields, beyond which lies the village of Wothorpe. A public footpath leads across the field from Wothorpe towards the south east corner of the site, before running northwards to join Kettering Road at a point to the west of the pavilion. The application site includes part of the field to the south of the existing pitch, but does not affect the route of the public footpath. Access to the pavilion is gained from Kettering Road for both vehicles and pedestrians. There is no car park on the site, with any associated vehicles being required to park across the road at the Junior School. This is intended to remain the case. Stamford Endowed Schools Page 5 Kettering Road, Stamford 3 Planning History and Background to the Proposal Relevant planning history is as follows: • S99/0373 New Sports Pavilion – approved 13 July 1999 • S05/0232 Synthetic Hockey Pitch with Fencing and Flood Lights and Hard Surfaced Tennis Courts – approved 7 April 2005 This application has arisen as a result of an increase in participation in sport by girls. There is a lack of facilities for girls at the school, yet there is increasing demand. This affects the quality of education that can be offered to the girls and represents a lack of equality. The application proposals have therefore been designed to provide improved indoor sports facilities and an additional hockey pitch. The existing pavilion is to be replaced with a new sports centre / pavilion providing modern changing facilities, staff facilities, small kitchen, social area, a gym and dance studios. The pavilion has been orientated so that the long elevation faces the hockey pitches, in order to facilitate a raised viewing area for parents and visitors to watch matches. Additionally, the windows will be recessed so that stone benches can be installed in the recesses to provide informal seating. Cycle parking is to be provided close to the entrance along with a disability parking space and delivery parking space. In order to facilitate the provision of a second hockey pitch, the site is to be extended southwards into the adjacent field. This will enable the existing pitch (which runs east- west) to be replaced by two new pitches, orientated north-south. Both pitches will be flood-lit by 15m high columns. The slight changes in levels across the site (sloping downwards towards the north western corner) mean that there will be an element of ‘cut and fill’ of the land to achieve pitches that are level. As a result of this excavation work around the southern boundary, there will be a bank along the southern boundary, which will be fenced and landscaped to provide a green buffer to the pitches when viewed from the south. The green buffer will comprise of a hedge and tree planting. It will mask the fence as it grows. The fence will prevent light spillage into the adjacent field, such that the new landscaping will be shaded from the lights and will be a useful foraging habitat for bats. There will also be tree planting and understorey shrub planting to the east of the pavilion, in order to enhance the landscaped boundary zone to the development site to the east, and to provide enhanced ecological habitat. The existing hedgerow along the Kettering Road boundary will be retained, as will the existing vegetation around the western boundary. Drainage of the proposed pitches will be to a stone base beneath them, with an attenuation pond in the north west corner of the site. The extension of the site southwards will require the moving of a Borough boundary marker from its current position in the southern hedgerow to a point further east, close to the public right of way. This location will still be on the line of the historic Borough boundary. Stamford Endowed Schools Page 6 Kettering Road, Stamford The application has been the subject of pre-application discussions and attendance at SKDC’s Design PAD meeting. Feedback has helped to refine the scheme. Sport England raised some queries at pre-application stage. The proposals comply with their “Exceptions” E2, in that the purpose of the proposed development is to support the principal use of the site as a playing field, and E5 where the new provision would outweigh the loss of the existing pitch by actually providing two pitches. Early discussions have been held with hockey organisations with a view to facilitating wider use of the pitches. Stamford Endowed Schools Page 7 Kettering Road, Stamford 4 Relevant Planning Policies and Constraints The site lies within Flood Zone 1. There are no Listed Buildings

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