ADDRESS: Lansdowne School Argyll Close London SW9 9QL Application Number: 15/00907/FUL Case Officer: Lauren Shallcross Ward: Larkhall Date Received: 16/02/2015 Proposal: Erection of two storey school building to provide school with associated hard and soft landscaping, boundary treatment, car and cycle parking, refuse storage, new pedestrian visitor access from Combermere Road, the phased demolition of the existing buildings and the subsequent provision of an external play area. Drawing numbers: PL002, PL003, PL004, PL005, PL006, PL007 rev 2, PL008 rev 2, PL009, PL010 rev 2, PL011 rev 2, PL012, PL021, PL023, PL024 Documents: Design and Access Statement 2015, Pre-development Tree Survey Generic Arboricultural Implications Assessment 2015, Statement of Community Involvement 2015, BREEAM Pre-Assessment 2014, Sustainability Statement 2015, Energy Statement rev 6 2015, Construction Management Plan rev 3 2015, Daylight Analysis 2015, Landscape Strategy and Proposed Materials, Noise Survey rev E 2015, Building Regulations Report 2015, Transport Statement 2015. RECOMMENDATION: Grant conditional permission Applicant: Mr Andy Lam Agent: Mrs Mangala Ratnayake Kier Construction Hunters South Architects 2 Langston Road Sussex Business Village Loughton Lake Lane Essex Barnham United Kingdom West Sussex G10 3SD PO22 0AA SITE DESIGNATIONS Relevant site designations: Type of designation Applicable designation N/A N/A LAND USE DETAILS Site area 6079 square metres Use Class Use Description Floorspace (Gross External Area) Existing Class D1 School 1742.7 sqm Proposed Class D1 School 2603.93 sqm PARKING DETAILS Car Parking Car Parking Bicycle Spaces Scooter Spaces Spaces Spaces (general) (Disabled) Existing 11 1 0 0 Proposed 4 1 0 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The application site is situated between Combermere Road and Argyll Close. The proposal is to demolish the existing single storey school building and the two-storey Caretaker’s House and erect a new school building 2 storeys in height. The school would be a Special Educational Needs School for secondary level pupils. The new school would include a playground which is to be located at the northern end of the school grounds. The key planning issues are: The implications of intensification use of the site for educational purposes; The loss of the existing buildings; The design of the new building and whether it would be appropriate to the character and appearance of the surrounding area; The impact of the new school building on the setting of the adjacent Grade II listed building, The Marquis of Lorne Public House The loss of trees; The impact of the development on the amenity of neighbouring residential properties; and The transport and highway impacts. The proposal would allow an increase in school places on this site from 86 to 110 to meet an identified need within the borough. The new school building has been designed to respond to the height and massing of neighbouring buildings, it is appropriate to the area and is not considered that it would harm the setting of the adjacent listed Marquis of Lorne Public House. The development would result in the loss of some trees on the site, but subject to the provision of suitable replacement tree planting, which would provide an equivalent or enhanced level of visual amenity, it is considered that the benefits of the development outweigh any harm to the character and appearance of the local area. A transport assessment demonstrates that the new school would not have a negative impact on the local transport network. The proposed development would bring positive benefits to the local community in terms of improved educational facilities in the area; it would also enliven the site through a well thought-out, high quality designed building with enhanced landscaping including replacement trees. OFFICERS REPORT Reason for referral to PAC: The application is reported to the Planning Applications Committee in accordance with (1)(ii) of the Committee’s terms of reference as it relates to a major application for the creation of more than 1000sqm of Non- Residential Institution floorspace. 1 SITE AND SURROUNDINGS 1.0 The application site is a 0.49 ha site situated between Combermere Road and Argyll Close. The site has three street frontages, to the north it faces onto Argyll Close, to the west onto Dalyell Road and to the south onto Combermere Road. There are a number of mature and prominent trees on the site. 1.1 To the north, south and west of the site the built form is predominantly two to four storey residential properties. Opposite the site on Combermere Road, is The Marquis of Lorne Public House, which is a Grade II listed building. To the north of the site is the adjacent Stockwell Green Conservation Area and to the east of the site lies the Stockwell Green United Reformed Church off Stockwell Green. The site itself lies outside the boundaries of the Conservation Area. 1.2 At present there are a number of single storey buildings in the middle of the site and a two storey Caretakers House located in the North West corner of the school grounds. The existing building was originally designed as a primary school and subsequently adapted to provide a special needs secondary school, its layout and facilities do not fully meet the pupil’s educational and behavioural needs. The existing school is of poor design quality and is not considered to be a non-designated heritage asset. 1.3 The site has a vehicular and pedestrian access from Argyll Close which is used by staff/pupil/visitors and an additional pedestrian gate off Combermere Road to the south. The school car park currently provides parking for approximately 11 cars, however, the car park does not have formal parking spaces marked out. 1.4 The site is located in the Brixton ‘B’ CPZ (0830 – 1730) and the PTAL is 5 which means it has ‘very good’ access to public transport services Image 1: Aerial view of the site looking north 2 PROPOSAL 2.0 The existing school was originally designed as a primary school and subsequently adapted as a special educational needs school for 86 pupils aged between 11-18 years as well as 50 full time staff and 7 part time staff members. The existing school buildings are to be demolished and the site redeveloped to provide a new two-storey Special Needs facility with associated landscaping for the Lansdowne School. The school would provide educational facilities for 110 pupils aged between 11-18 years as well as 50 full time staff and 7 part time staff members. 2.1 The proposed development would comprise an ‘L’ shaped building sited on the southern and western boundaries of the site; it would be two storeys in height. The two storey element would be sited along the southern (Combermere Road) frontage and along the western (Dalyell Road) frontage. The playground would be located within the northern part of the site adjacent to Argyll Close. 2.2 The school would be accessible to pedestrians from two entrance points; the Main school and Visitor entrance to the south of the site and the pupil and staff entrance from the northern end of the school site (see Figure 1 below). Vehicular access would remain as existing - along the northern boundary from Argyll Close but separate from pedestrian access. 2.3 In terms of general layout, the proposed ground floor of the building would provide the kitchen, storage rooms, main hall, school reception, food tech, design tech, classrooms (2 classrooms for year groups 7 – 9), toilets and changing facilities. The proposed first floor would provide classrooms (2 classrooms for year groups 11 –13), science, art, music/drama rooms, SEN resource base, sensory room, plant room, staff work spaces, storage rooms and toilets. Figure 1: Proposed Site Plan 2.4 Amendments 2.5 No significant amendments have been made to the originally submitted plans during the consideration of the application. However, one change was made relating to the metal cladding. The applicant amended the drawings to show a change in colour from green, red and grey to grey. 3 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY 3.0 Pre-application advice was provided in December 2014 in respect of proposals for a new build secondary school following demolition of the existing school and associated landscaping. The applicant was advised by officers that the proposal was acceptable in principle and the scheme could be supported subject to detailed design, the mitigation of any adverse impacts on neighbour amenity and demonstration that the proposal would not have a harmful impact on the highway network. 3.1 98/02174/FUL – Planning permission was granted 22.12.1998 for the erection of a single storey building to provide two classrooms and a laboratory; and in retrospect, erection of a single storey store building. 4 CONSULATIONS 4.0 Statutory Consultees Environment Agency No objection, site covered by flood risk standing advice. 4.1 Other Consultees Clapham Society - No reply to date. 4.2 Adjoining owners/occupiers A site notice was displayed from 03.04.2015 to 24.04.2015 and the application was advertised in the local paper (Lambeth Weekender) on 03.04.2015. The formal consultation period ended on 24.04.2015. In response to consultation 8 letters of representation have been submitted. 8 letters of objections were received from the occupiers. A summary of the concerns raised is set out below: Summary of objections Response Land Use The school and its facilities would be available to the See para. 6.0.7 local community to use. Neither details of costs nor a business plan has been provided so it is quite possible that the proposed benefits would be unaffordable. Design The imposing exterior wall cornering Combermere Road See para 6.2.7 and Dalyell Road is terrible, It will date and colour-face very quickly, and will not blend with or compliment neighbouring structures.