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planning report D&P/3304/01 18 December 2013 Wembley High School, East Lane, Wembley in the London Borough of Brent planning application no.13/2961 Strategic planning application stage 1 referral Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 The proposal Proposed new four-form of entry primary school incorporating class rooms, multi-use hall, kitchen, library, staff and administration rooms, ancillary storage and plant rooms, including new external multi-use games area, external playgrounds, new access from East Lane, staff car parking spaces and associated landscaping and lighting. The applicant The applicant is Brent Council, and the architect is Curl la Tourelle Architects. Strategic issues Key issues are provision of educational facility/new primary school and the loss of playing fields. Other issues assessed include design, access, energy and transport. Recommendation That Brent Council be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 46 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in that paragraph of the report could address these deficiencies. The application does not need to be referred back to the Mayor if the Council resolves to refuse permission, but it must be referred back if the Council resolves to grant permission. Context 1 On 21 November 2013 the Mayor of London received documents from Brent Council notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. Under the provisions of The Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor has until 1 January 2014 to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan, and his reasons for taking that view. The Mayor may also provide other comments. This report sets out information for the Mayor’s use in deciding what decision to make. 2 The application is referable under Category 3C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: ”Development which is likely to prejudice the use as a playing field of more than 2 hectares of land which – (a) used as a playing field at the time the relevant application for planning permission is page 1 made; or (b) has at any time in the five years before the making of the application been used as a playing field.” 3 Once Brent Council has resolved to determine the application, it is required to refer it back to the Mayor for his decision, as to whether to direct refusal or allow the Council to determine it itself, unless otherwise advised. In this instance if the Council resolves to refuse permission it need not refer the application back to the Mayor. 4 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 5 Wembley High Technology College is located on East Lane in North Wembley, close to Vale Farm Sports Ground. The site is bound by residential properties on three sides, East Lane runs along the south side and around the main secondary school building on the west. The current Academy is located to the far west of the site and the new build 4FE primary school will be located on the eastern part of the site. 6 The site has a change of level of approximately four metres along its length, which runs north-south. There is existing vehicular access for the secondary school adjacent to the primary school site, so regular additional vehicular crossover is not necessary for redevelopment of the site in this location. Fire engine tender and ambulance access is provided via a gate from the parking area. 7 The nearest section of the Transport for London Road Network is the North Circular 3km to the east of the site. The A404 Watford Road, located 1km to the west of the site forms part of the Strategic Road Network . The site is served by bus route 245 running along East Lane with the nearest bus stops available 180m to the west of the site. North Wembley station, located 300m to the east provides access to both London Underground (Bakerloo Line) and London Overground (Watford to Euston) services. The site has been estimated to have a poor public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 2, on a scale of 1-6 where 6 is most accessible. Details of the proposal 8 The proposal for the new primary school comprises 3 x 2 storey blocks and a single storey block - incorporating class rooms, multi-use hall, kitchen, library , staff and administration rooms, ancillary storage and plant rooms, and including new external multi-use games area, external playgrounds, new access from East Lane, staff car parking spaces and associated landscaping and lighting. Case history 9 There is no planning history relevant to the current application. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 10 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Education London Plan Playing fields London Plan Design London Plan Access London Plan; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) page 2 Sustainable development London Plan; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG; Mayor’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; Mayor’s Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy; Mayor’s Water Strategy Transport/parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy 11 For the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the development plan in force for the area is the 2010 Brent Council Core Strategy Development Plan Document and the 2011 London Plan (with Alterations 2013). 12 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Technical Guide to the National Planning Policy Framework are also relevant material considerations. Land use principle Education use 13 The proposal is to build a new four-form entry (4FE) primary school on the eastern part of the secondary school site, enabling the secondary school Academy to become an all-through school from Reception to Y13. 14 The applicant has stated that the proposals are driven by changes in the borough demographic, and is one of a number of schemes commissioned by Brent Council, as it prepares to create new primary and special educational needs (SEN) school places mainly through school expansion as part of a longer term rolling programme to accommodate the exponential growth in demand for school places. 15 The Governing Body of Wembley High Technology College is proposing to change the character of the school on a permanent basis by becoming an “all-through” school by September 2014. “All-through” means the lower age limit will change from 11 years old (Year 7) to 4 years old (Reception). The school will eventually offer places from Reception to Sixth Form (4 years old to 19 years old). There are currently two temporary Reception classes on the Wembley High Technology College site in temporary accommodation. It is intended that these pupils will become permanent students if the proposal is successful. At full capacity the school will have 840 places in the primary sector (age 4 to 11) in addition to the 1,050 places currently in the secondary sector (age 11 to 16) and the Sixth Form (currently 284 aged 17 - 19). 16 Finally, the applicant has stated that without the new primary school proposed on the site the Council would be reliant upon a strategy of providing temporary additional places, which is considered to be a less than ideal solution compared with a permanent expansion, given the short fall of places is predicted to continue unless additional places are made available. 17 To summarise, there is a significant London-wide shortage of school places, which has occurred for a number of well documented reasons. This pressing need, which has been evidenced by the applicant at a local level, should be considered in the context of the Government’s and Mayor’s strong support for new education provision as set out in the NPPF and London Plan, respectively. Playing fields 18 Sport England has objected the proposed development. It has stated that the scheme, which is the subject of this latest application, for a 4FE primary school on the eastern side of the playing field would lead to a significant loss of playing field and one ‘large grass pitch’ (measuring 57.6m x 81.5m), the relocation and reduction in size of one ‘small MUGA’ and the loss of part of the outfield for cricket. It has also stated that the proposed development would also affect the ability of the playing field to accommodate a running track and rounders’ pitch, which appear to have been marked out on the playing field in the past. page 3 19 Furthermore, Sport England has noted that no playing pitch strategy has been undertaken by the local authority that indicates there is an oversupply of pitches and playing field and this site has not been identified as one which is surplus to requirements. In the absence of this, any development must be considered in the context of paragraph 74 of the NPPF and Sport England’s Playing Field Policy. Sport England concluded that it objects the proposal because the proposed development is not considered to accord with any of the exceptions in Sport England’s playing fields policy. Summary 20 Whilst the provision of additional educational facility to meet the pressing needs in school places is strongly supported; the loss of playing fields is a concern. Therefore, further discussion is recommended with Sport England on how to address the concern.

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