Decision details

Councillor Reilly withdrew from the Committee for consideration of NWB/19CC007 as he had registered to speak as an objector.

Sally Panayi introduced the application which had been deferred by the Committee at their previous meeting. The applicant had adjusted the location of the temporary classroom so that it was rotated 90 degrees from its original positon which increased the distance from neighbouring properties and reduced overlooking which had been raised as a concern by objectors.

Questions to the Planning Officer

In response to Councillor Cargill, Mrs Panayi stated that officers recommended a condition for the Applicant to submit details of the building finish for approval and that elevations facing the neighbours could be left grey.

In response to Councillor Rolfe, Mrs Panayi stated that the classroom had to be on raised foundations both to allow for drainage and to create a level floor. The change in location may allow for a reduction in the height of the elevation but drainage needs at the site would still necessitate elevated foundations.

In response to Councillor Warwick, Mrs Panayi stated that the construction schedule was quite tight and reducing the time the temporary classroom was in situ would not leave any leeway for delays.

Public Speakers

The Chair invited Alison Doyle to address the committee in objection to the application. Mrs Doyle thanked the Committee and Officers for the consideration paid to neighbour objections made at the last meeting and noted that the classroom had now been moved and that obscure glazing had been installed. She stated that the plans showed that there was still some room on the site which may allow for the classroom to be moved further away from neighbouring houses and asked Members to consider calling for this. She also stated that she still felt the safety of children travelling to school had not been adequately addressed; pedestrians already had to walk in the road as cars were being parked on the pavement and increasing traffic would only exacerbate this issue especially with the reduced parking available around the school due to dropped kerbs installed over the summer.

The Chair invited Councillor Reilly to address the Committee as a local Councillor. Councillor Reilly stated that he recognised the hard work that had been done by Officers to bring an acceptable application back to the Committee. He stated that residents at 25 Rose Road had decided not to come and speak on the application but had requested that the light over the door to the temporary classroom be shielded.

In response to the Chair, Mrs Panayi stated that she felt the amended position of the classroom was the best possible solution and did not think there was the flexibility on the site to allow the classroom to be moved again.

In response to Councillor Rickhards, Mrs Doyle stated that a number of dropped kerbs had been installed in the roads around the school meaning that the number of space available for on street parking had reduced by eight.

Mrs Panayi clarified that the transport assessment had identified 170 spaces within 500 metres of the school. The infant intake required 69 spaces and the additional year 3 class required 20 spaces bringing the total number of spaces required to accommodate parents during drop off and pick up to 89. Even with the loss of 8 spaces this still left 162 spaces within reasonable walking distance of the school. She also confirmed that no Highways objection had been received for NWB/19CC007 but Highways had objected to NWB/19CC006.

The Chair stated that there were always issues with parking around schools and that ensuring that there was proper signage on the road preventing parents from parking across dropped kerbs would help to mitigate issues. Councillor Gifford also noted that an increase in dropped kerbs might also result in less pressure on on-street parking as residents would be more likely to park in their driveways.

Mrs Panayi responded that white lining to provide ‘H’ bars across drives would have to be taken up by the Safer Routes to Schools team and then enforcement would be down to Warwickshire Police.

In response to Councillor Chattaway, Gary Philpotts confirmed that the school would be able to shield the entrance light as requested by Councillor Reilly on behalf of Rose Road residents.

Debate

Councillor Parry stated that she felt the Committee had given much consideration to the application and residents’ concerns and that the application before Members was acceptable. She moved that the Committee grant planning permission.

Councillor Simpson-Vince seconded the motion stating that the new location of the classroom was the best compromise that could reasonably be achieved.

Councillor Warwick asked for an additional condition requiring that elevations facing neighbouring properties be left grey rather than being decorated.

The Chair paid tribute to the work Sally Panayi had done to bring the revised application back to Committee so quickly and to the objectors, particularly Alison Doyle, who had engaged in a constructive and reasonable way.

The Chair called a vote on the motion to grant permission as outlined in the report, with the addition of a condition requiring elevations facing neighbours be coloured grey and one requiring that the external light over the door to the classroom be shielded, which was agreed unanimously.

Resolved

That the Committee authorises the grant of permission as recommended with the inclusion of additional conditions requiring the two elevations facing neighbouring properties to be coloured grey and the shielding of the external light over the door to the classroom.