PLANNING STATEMENT CROFTLANDS JUNIOR SCHOOL, OAKWOOD DRIVE, ULVERSTON PLANNING STATEMENT On behalf of: Keepmoat Regeneration and the ESFA In respect of: Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston Date: July 2017 Reference:2809le/R001 Author: MD DPP Planning Second Floor 1 City Square Leeds LS1 2ES Tel: 0113 350 9865 E-mail [email protected] www.dppukltd.com CARDIFF LEEDS LONDON MANCHESTER NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 4 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND CONTEXT ..................................................... 6 3.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ............................................................... 8 4.0 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT .........................................11 5.0 LOCAL POLICY CONTEXT ..................................................................17 6.0 PLANNING ASSESSMENT .................................................................22 7.0 STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ................................29 8.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .......................................................33 List of Appendices APPENDIX 1: CONSULTATION LEAFLET DISTRIBUTION MAP APPENDIX 2: CONSULTATION LEAFLET APPENDIX 3: CONSULTATION PUBLIC NOTICE Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston 3 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This Planning Statement has been prepared by DPP for Keepmoat Regeneration on behalf of the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in support of the planning application for the construction of a replacement Junior School at the site of the existing Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston, including demolition of the existing building and ancillary blocks following completion. 1.1 This planning statement should be read alongside the following documents and plans which form part of the application package: • Application form; • Preliminary Ecological Appraisal prepared by Mott Macdonald; • Bat Inspection Report by Brooks Ecological • Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement prepared by tba; • Tree Survey Report prepared by tba; • Flood Risk Assessment and sustainable Drainage Report prepared by MJM Consulting; • Transport Statement prepared by Systra; • School Travel Plan prepared by Croftlands Junior School • Ground Investigation Report prepared by Mott Macdonald; • Factual Report on Ground Investigation prepared by ESG; • Design and Access Statement prepared by DLA; • Acoustic Feasibility Survey prepared by Mott Macdonald; • Demolition Phase Plan prepared by Keepmoat • CEMP prepared by Keepmoat • Suite of plans prepared by DLA • Croftlands Junior School Boundary Plan • Ground Floor Plan (Drawing No: CRFT-DLA-ZZ-00-DR-A-2000) • Roof Plan (Drawing No: CRFT-DLA-ZZ-00-DR-A-2002) • Proposed Elevations (Drawing No: CRFT-DLA-ZZ-00-DR-A-2030) • Proposed Sections (Drawing No: CRFT-DLA-ZZ-00-DR-A-2035) • Proposed Site Layout Plan (Drawing No 2017-087_9100 C) • Proposed External Works (Drawing No 2017-087_9101 B) • Proposed Levels (Drawing No 2017-087_9102 C) • Proposed Fencing (Drawing No 2017-087_9103 B) • Access and Security (Drawing No 2017-087_9105 C) • Proposed Landscape Layout (Drawing No 2017-087_9106 E) • BB103 Areas (Drawing No 2017-087_9107) • Low Loader Swept Paths (Drawing No 2017-087_9109 B) • Tree Survey Plan 5496.01 prepared by tba; • Tree Protection Plan 5496.02A prepared by tba; • Construction Phasing Plan Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston 4 1.1 This application has been made following detailed pre-application discussions with Cumbria County Council as the Local Planning Authority (LPA), key stakeholders and the local community. Full details of this engagement are discussed within the ‘Statement of Community Involvement’ section at chapter 7. 1.2 The statement takes the following structure: • Chapter 2: Site Description and Context; • Chapter 33: Proposed Development; • Chapter 4: National Planning Policy Context; • Chapter 5: Local Planning Policy Context; • Chapter 6: Planning Assessment; • Chapter 7: Statement of Community Involvement • Chapter 888:8::: Summary and Conclusions Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston 5 2.0 Site Description and Context 2.1 This chapter will describe the application site and its surrounding context. The chapter will also discuss the planning history of the site. The Application Site 2.2 The application site is located on Oakwood Drive, approximately 1.5km to the South of Ulverston town centre, within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria. The wider school complex incorporates both Croftlands Junior School and Croftlands Infant School as well as grassland and recreation space. The Infant School is, however, excluded from this application. Existing access to the site is at Oakwood Drive to the Southern boundary. 2.3 The site is bound by Moutbarrow Road to the West and Mount Barnard View and Maple Avenue to the East. The surrounding land use is primarily residential dwellings. These can be found to the Southern and Eastern boundaries of the site. The North and West boundaries of the site are comprised of primarily residential property and also open green space. 2.4 As indicated by Historic England, the following listed buildings are in the general location of the site: • Grade IIII*:*:*:*: Friends Meeting House Approximately 180m NW of the site • Grade II:II:II: Wilsons Monument, Ulverston Cemetery Approximately 600m NE of the site • Grade IIII*:*:*:*: Swarthmoor Hall Approximately 600m NE of the site Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston 6 • Grade II:II:II: The Nook Approximately 700m SW of the site 1.2 With regard to flood risk, the Environment Agency’s online Flood Risk Map indicates that the site is located within Flood Zone 1 and is therefore at low risk of flooding. 1.3 There are no Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s) on the proposed site. Planning History 2.5 A search of Cumbria County Council’s online planning records highlighted a number of historical planning applications at the development site. 2.6 A summary of this planning history can be seen in the table below: Application Ref. Development Description Decision 5/74/1273 Prefabricated temporary Approved 04/03/75 classroom unit 5/75/0812 Single storey demountable Approved 01/07/75 classroom unit 5/75/0815 Single storey demountable Approved 06/10/7 5 classroom unit 5/76/0598 Single storey demountable Approved 30/07/76 classroom unit 5/77/1219 Kitchen and storage Approved 26/12/77 5/80/0973 Renewal of 3 temporary Approved 11/08/80 classroom units 5/88/1417 Double temporary classroom Approved 28/06/88 with central resource area 5/88/1902 Retention of 3 temporary Approved 25/07/88 classroom units 5/89/1220 Re -cladding and internal Approved 31/05/89 alterations 5/91/1169 Re -cladding as part of Approved 02/08/91 classrooms 5/91/1169 Re -cladding part of classrooms Approved 02/08/91 5/92/9008 Classroom extension and Approved 29/05/92 recladding Croftlands Junior School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston 7 3.0 Proposed Development Background 3.1 The application seeks the construction of a replacement Junior School at the existing site of Croftlands Infant and Junior School, and the demolition of the existing Junior School building. 3.2 The new Junior School is required as part of the Priority Schools Building Programme, to address identified needs for refurbishment resulting from deterioration of the timber frame, failure of external cladding and widespread asbestos in the existing building. 3.3 The layout of the existing building is also unsuitable to the school’s needs, poor circulation means students have to pass through one classroom to enter another. 3.4 Due to the degradation of the existing Junior School, and the disruptive nature of the building, a new build is the most appropriate option. 3.5 The existing Junior School shares a site with the Infant School, along with a shared field, and there are no barriers or fences between the schools. The Infant and Junior School will continue to share car parking and soft play areas during and following completion of the proJect, therefore the new build and demolition will require phasing of construction works. 3.6 The Junior School has a mixed sex 2 FE intake, largely taken from the infant school. The school is not currently at PAN capacity of 60 and instead has between 33 and 46 students in each year group. The overall capacity of the school is 240 pupils, with currently 157 pupils registered. As such the school is currently at 65% capacity. 3.7 The site is situated in a residential area, with the grounds including a large playing field, two playgrounds and a wooded wildlife area. The Junior School lies to the east of the site and the Infant School to the west. The schools are separated by a staff car park used by both schools. Joint activities, including regular teaching and transition proJects take place between the two schools. The Proposal 3.8 This application is for Full planning permission for the construction of a new build Junior school, and demolition of existing Junior school, on a site shared with Croftlands infant school. The capacity of the proposed school will stay the same as existing; at 240 pupils. 3.9 The new school will comprise a single-storey building located to the north of the existing Junior School in the east of the site, along with modifications to the existing car park. The proposed floor plans submitted as part of the application package illustrate what is to be included within the design. 3.10 In addition to the above, the proposed development will also incorporate