Sustainable Development Working Party 13 March 2012
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C392 Sustainable Development Working Party 13 March 2012 Design Brief for Redevelopment of Westfied Primary School, Haverhill SUMMARY 1. The adopted Replacement Borough Local Plan contains a requirement for a development brief or site-specific design guidance to be prepared for all major development sites before planning permission can be granted. 2. As part of the Schools Organisation Review, Westfield Primary School in Haverhill is being relocated to a new site and will open in the Spring term 2012. The existing site is no longer required for education purposes and it has not been possible to find viable alternative uses for the existing premises. 3. The County Council has prepared a draft design brief for the site to assist potential developers to bring forward schemes that are consistent with adopted, and emerging, development plan policies. The draft has been the subject of local consultation in accordance with the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement and planning officers have been involved in discussions as part of its preparation. 4. Officers are satisfied that the Design Brief, and the proposals within it, have been prepared in accordance with the adopted development plan policies and should, therefore be adopted as planning guidance. 1. Purpose of Report 1.1 The purpose of this report is to consider the content of the Design Brief for the redevelopment of Westfield Primary School at Manor Road in Haverhill and to recommend its adoption as non-statutory planning guidance. 2. Background 2.1 As part of the Schools Organisation Review, Westfield Primary School in Haverhill is being relocated to a new site and will open in the Spring term 2012. The existing site is no longer required for education purposes and officers have worked with the County Council to try and find alternative community uses that might be able to occupy the premises rather than demolish them. However, it has not been -1 - possible to find viable alternative uses at this time and the County Council is seeking to market the site for redevelopment. 2.2 The site is within the Housing Settlement Boundary for Haverhill where there is a general presumption in favour of housing development unless sites are designated for other uses. The site has no such designation. 3. The Design Brief 3.1 The County Council, as landowners, have prepared a draft Design Brief for the redevelopment of the site and its content has been the subject of discussion with planning officers prior to local consultation. The local community consultation has consisted of two stages, firstly to ascertain whether other uses could be made of the site and, secondly, relating to the content of the draft Design Brief. 3.2 A copy of the draft Development Brief is attached as Appendix A. It is a comprehensive document which identifies constraints arising from the changes in levels and the strong landscape features within and adjoining the site. These are used to inform the development capacity and opportunities for development, based upon a residential scheme incorporating the principle of retaining the majority of trees and providing open space adjacent to the County Wildlife Site. It also contains a commitment to sustainable development principles. 4 . Consultation 4.1 Prior to the preparation of the Development Brief, Suffolk County Council carried out a three month consultation exercise arising from the reform of education provision in Haverhill. The process sought to establish whether there is a viable community use for any of the surplus school buildings including Westfield School. This consultation did not result in any alternative community uses being proposed for Westfield School. 4.2 The Development Brief has been the subject of a second and separate round of public consultation undertaken by the agents acting on behalf of the County Council from 28 November 2011 to 13 January 2012. A public exhibition was held at Westfield Primary School on 8 December. The consultation period was extended to take account of the Christmas break. Consultation letters, with copies of the draft Development Brief, were also sent to statutory and other consultees and a presentation was made to Haverhill Town Council on 3 January 2012. A report on the consultation is attached as Appendix B. This approach accords with the Council’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement. 4.3 Despite the extensive consultation carried out, the response from the general public was extremely limited and attendance at the public exhibition was poor. Those comments which were received were of a positive or factual nature relating to issues which are addressed by the Development Brief. No changes were deemed necessary as a result of the consultation. However, minor changes have been made to the document to take account of the draft joint Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury Development Management Policies Preferred Options Document which has been the subject of a separate public consultation between January and March 2012. -2 - 4.4 Subject to the normal viability tests, the Brief provides a Section 106 Obligation to provide for affordable housing and other potential community contributions. 5. Conclusion and Recommendation 5.1 Officers are satisfied that the development proposed in the Design Brief is in accordance with the adopted Replacement Local Plan, and in particular Policy DS5. Furthermore, the procedures have been undertaken in accordance with the protocol for the preparation of Design Guidance and Development Briefs. 5.2 Furthermore, officers are satisfied that the consultation process has been thorough and is in accordance with the adopted Statement of Community Involvement. There will, of course, be full consultation undertaken in respect of any subsequent planning applications. 5.3 The Working Party is therefore asked to RECOMMEND to Cabinet and Full Council that the Development Brief for the development of the of land at Westfield Primary School, Manor Road, Haverhill, be adopted as non-statutory planning guidance for the determination of future planning applications. For further information contact: Chris Rand, Principal Planning Policy Officer, Planning and Economic Development Services. Telephone: (01284) 757352 or email: [email protected] W:\Democratic WP Services\Committee\Reports\Sustainable Development Working Party\2012\12.03.13\C392 Design Brief for redevelopment of Westfield Primary School, Haverhill.doc -3 - APPENDIX A DESIGN BRIEF WESTFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL MANOR ROAD HAVERHILL February 2012 The JTS Partnership LLP ŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ^ƵƌǀĞLJŽƌƐ-ŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ dŽǁŶWůĂŶŶĞƌƐ ZĞŐƵůĂƚĞĚďLJZ/^ CONTENTS AND OVERVIEW CONTENTS Clements Primary School 1. OVERVIEW Clements Primary School has relocated to a new site off Greenfields Way. The existing buildings have been demolished 2. LOCATION and the site is to be transferred to St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which will use it (subject to receiving planning 3. WESTFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL permission) to create public open space and allotments. 4. MOVEMENT 5. TOWNSCAPE 6. COMMUNITY CONSULTATION 7. POLICY 8. OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS 9. DESIGN PRINCIPLES Design Brief 10. SUMMARY AND FURTHER CONSULTATIONS Ƥ This Brief has been produced in accordance with the protocols adopted by St Edmundsbury Borough Council. It is a simple, and clear, expression of the kind of place that should be OVERVIEW created through the redevelopment Westfield School. Following a detailed review of education provision in Suffolk, the County Education Authority has decided to move from a It sets out how the policies of the adopted Core Strategy, and three tier, to a two tier, system. In Haverhill, the following Westfield Primary School emerging Local Development Framework documents, apply to the site. It is based on a site appraisal and the identification of changes have already taken place, or are planned. known development constraints and opportunities. It has been Westfield Primary is also to be relocated ± to a site off produced to assist potential developers to bring forward Castle Hill, Chalkstone and Parkway Middle Schools Chalkstone Way, adjoining the Samuel Ward Arts & Technology schemes that are consistent with adopted, and emerging, College. The new school is under construction and is due to Development Plan policies. open at the beginning of Spring term 2012. These sites have now closed with their pupils transferring to other primary and secondary schools in the town. The existing buildings at Parkway are to be used as accommodation for the Westfield Primary School is no longer required for education adjoining Castle Manor Business and Enterprise College. purposes. Suffolk County Council considers that a residential UHGHYHORSPHQWZRXOGEHDVXVWDLQDEOHXVHRIWKLVµEURZQILHOG¶ site, which is situated within the main urban area of Haverhill. Castle Hill and Chalkstone schools are surplus to requirements and an alternative use(s) needs to be found for both sites. THE JTS PARTNERSHIP LLP WESTFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL WESTFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL The Site corner. ,WZDVµVFRSHG¶IRUWKHSUHVHQFHRISURWHFWHGVSHFLHVLQ Westfield Primary School comprises some 1.19ha of former The school buildings are single storey and occupy the central September 2009 (the report was up-dated in May 2010). No agricultural land. The site lies approximately 500m due east of and north eastern parts of the site, with hard surfaced play and sign of activity was found; although it was noted that various species have been recorded nearby and that the site provides a Haverhill town centre and is well integrated into the urban fabric SDUNLQJDUHDVDGMDFHQW$WZRVWRUH\FDUHWDNHU¶VGZHOOLQJLV