Issue - meetings

Sally Panayi (Senior Planner) presented the report and provided an overview of the application, which related to the granting of outline planning permission with all matters reserved apart from access for the development of a new primary school and nursery and associated parking, and full planning permission for the creation of an associated habitat mitigation area, in Warwick. This was subject to a number of conditions.

Full details presented to the Committee included the following:

-          The primary school would be two form entry, capable of accommodating 420 pupils including up to 18 with special educational needs. The nursery would provide 34 places.

-          The site was bordered by the existing Myton School to the northwest and the Evergreen Special School to the east. Established housing was located to the north of the site, with new houses to the east and construction work on new houses taking place to the south.

-          Access to the school for staff and pupils would be from Fusiliers Way only, although there would be an access gate leading from The Malins to allow for maintenance of the playing fields.

-          Information on the scale and placement of the school buildings was indicative only, in anticipation of a future reserved matters application.

-          The application was originally an outline application but had been converted to a hybrid one to allow for works to be implemented on the habitat mitigation area.

-          Two bunds would be created within the habitat mitigation area to improve surface water drainage. The eastern bund would be between 1.5 and 2.0 metres above the existing ground level, and the western bund would be 0.4 metres in height. Removal of a section of hedgerow would be required to install the eastern bund.

-          A landscape plan indicating planting of hedges and trees within the habitat mitigation area had been submitted.

-          The proposed height of the fence along the northern boundary with The Malins had been reduced from 2.4 metres to 1.8 metres, although for security reasons a small section would remain 2.4 metres tall.

No objections had been received from statutory consultees, and Warwick Town Council had expressed support for the application. Comments and objections had been received from 15 local residents, the majority expressing concerns about access to the school from The Malins and Myton Crescent. Concerns had also been raised relating to construction traffic for the habitat mitigation area accessing the site. Sally Panayi reiterated there would be no access to the proposed school from either The Malins or Myton Crescent, and construction traffic would access the site from Fusiliers Way. The only exception would be the use of the access gate from The Malins for maintenance of the playing fields, which although regular would be seasonal and occasional. Details of a green travel plan, and school safety zone could all be included within the later reserved matters application to allay the concerns expressed by residents.

Members were told there had been historic issues with flooding and drainage in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3