St. Martin's School & Playing Field 327A, La Rue de la Croix au Maitre, St. Martin: Planning Application (P/2012/0833): Determined by Minister

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A decision made 25 March 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2013-0035			Application Number: P/2012/0833 (If applicable)
Decision Summary Title :	St. Martins School & Playing Field (Field 327A), La Rue de la Croix au Maitre, St. Martin, Jersey, JE3 6HW		Date of Decision Summary:		22/03/2013
Decision Summary Author:	Planner		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)		Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:		n/a
Written Report Title :	Officer Report – P/2012/0833		Date of Written Report:		29/10/2012
Written Report Author:	Planner		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)		Public
Subject: St. Martins School & Playing Field (Field 327A), La Rue de la Croix au Maitre, , St. Martin, Jersey, JE3 6HW Construct new school with playing fields, new vehicular access & electricity sub station.
Decision(s): The Minister has agreed to release the Permit for the above application without the need for a formal Planning Obligation to be signed in respect of the matters outlined below under ‘Reason(s) for Decision’. The required highways improvements will be covered by the following ‘Grampian Condition’: Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, a schedule of works relating to the carrying out of the alterations to the public highway (La Rue de la Croix au Maitre) and the parish car park (as shown in approved plans 10219:55 rev. A and 10219:57), must be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Minister for Planning and Environment. Such a programme must include a timetable for the implementation and undertaking of these works. For the avoidance of doubt these highway works must be completed, to the satisfaction of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services, prior to the first occupation of the school. REASON: To ensure that before development commences and proceeds, provision is made for the carrying out and completion of the necessary highway improvements, in accordance with Policy GD 1 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2011. The issue of parking provision will be covered by the following condition. For the avoidance of doubt, in accordance with the submitted and approved Design Statement, the Parish car park will be made available for the use of school staff as well as the parents of school pupils. REASON: To ensure the long term provision of adequate parking for the new development, in accordance with Policy GD 1 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2011.
Reason(s) for Decision: The Minister considered this application at a public Ministerial Meeting on 09/11/2012. At that meeting he resolved to approve the application subject to a number of conditions as well as a Planning Obligation Agreement (POA) covering two matters. These matters were 1.) securing the delivering of the necessary off-site highway / pedestrian safety improvements, and 2.) providing for the use of the new school sports facilities for wider community use (including St Martin’s Football Club) when not required by the school. The Minister also required that a formal written agreement be put in place to enable the use of the Parish car park by the school. The POA was to be agreed and signed prior to the release of the Decision Notice. Having engaged in further discussions with the applicant and the Law Officers, it is considered that it would be more appropriate to deal with item 1. by way of a ‘Grampian Condition’ and that item 2. is adequately covered by separate Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) provisions which already provide a framework for the community use of education facilities. In respect of the use of the car park, it is considered that, because the Parish is now a formal signatory to the application (having signed up as a co-applicant following the original submission of the application), it is bound by the conditions and requirements of the application. The submitted Design Statement (which will be approved as part of the application) makes it clear that school staff and the parents of pupils will be permitted to use the Parish Car Park. An additional condition will be included to make this clear. In summary, the Minister has confirmed that a POA is no longer required and the Permit can now be released.
Resource Implications: None
Action required: Release Planning Permit. Notify Agent, Applicant and all other interested parties
Signature: Deputy R C Duhamel		PLeg / AS Initials		Position: Minister for Planning and Environment
Date Signed: 22/03/2012				Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

St. Martin's School & Playing Field 327A, La Rue de la Croix au Maitre, St. Martin: Planning Application (P/2012/0833): Determined by Minister

Department of the Environment

Planning and Building Services

South Hill

St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4US

Tel: +44 (0)1534 445508

Fax: +44 (0)1534 445528

Department of the Environment

Report for Ministerial Meeting

Application Number

P/2012/0833

Site Address	St Martins School & Playing Field (Field 327-A), La Rue de la Croix au Maitre, St. Martin, JE3 6HW

Applicant	Minister For Treasury & Resources

Description	Construct new school with playing fields, new vehicular access & electricity sub station.

Type	Major Application

Date Validated	03/07/2012

Zones & Constraints	Built-Up Area Water Pollution Safeguard Area Site Safeguarded for Educational Use

Summary

The application is for the development of a replacement primary school for the parish of St Martin.

This application site is Field 327-A which is located to the north-west of, and adjacent to, the existing school site. Field 327-A is currently used as a playing field but is within the Built Up Area boundary at the western edge of St Martin’s Village.

There have been extensive discussions over the last few years on how to best to improve the situation (including a feasibility study), culminating in provision being made within the 2011 Island Plan for an entirely new school to replace the existing one. The following is an extract from Policy SCO1 of the Plan;

“Unfortunately the existing school and nursery is well below the minimum space standards with no further capacity on the site to extend the facilities. To address this deficiency, provision for a new primary school and nursery unit is currently included in the States capital programme, and the existing football pitch, field 327A, has been identified as being an appropriate location and of sufficient size to provide for both the new school buildings and a junior football pitch”.

Subsequently, the Minister for Planning & Environment issued a formal Development Brief; this established the development parameters and provided general design guidance for the new school on issues such as layout, design, vehicle access, pedestrian safety and landscaping. The submission of the application followed shortly thereafter.

In the Department’s view, this is a scheme which has been well-designed to meet modern educational standards and which fulfils the requirements of the approved Development Brief.

The one outstanding issue is in connection with parking and pedestrian safety. The Development Brief requires that the large adjacent Parish car park be used as part of the scheme in order to avoid the need to establish a car park within the application site itself. This option, which would involve the repositioning of the pedestrian and vehicle entrances within the parish car park, together with a series of alterations to the existing traffic calming islands in the main road, is fully supported by the highway authority, TTS Highways.

This requires the formal agreement of the Parish but, unfortunately, at the time of writing, this has not yet been achieved. A meeting of the Parish Assembly is scheduled for 31/10/12 and the outcome of that meeting will be reported at the Ministerial meeting.

However, in the event that agreement is not possible, an alternative proposal has been put forward which still involves the creation of a car park within the school site but which also proposes some improvement to the public highway and pedestrian access to the parish car park. This is not as satisfactory as the ‘preferred option’ but TTS Highways have confirmed that they would be prepared to support it as an alternative.

In summary, the principle of developing Field 327-A for a new primary school falls squarely within policy and, therefore, the application is supported by the Department. However, at the time of writing, the issue of parking and pedestrian safety is not yet fully resolved.

Finally, it should be noted that the existing school is owned by the Parish and will revert back to the Parish in due course once the new school is operational. Its future use is not part of this application.

Department Recommendation

The application is recommended for approval, subject to the conditions set out below and also the completion of a Planning Obligation Agreement (POA) within 3 months of the date of the determination, to secure delivery of the necessary off-site highway / pedestrian safety improvements.

If the POA is not completed, then the Department recommend that the Director of Planning is given delegated authority to refuse the application.

Site Description & Existing Use

The application relates to Field 327-A in St Martin which is situated to the north-west of the existing St Martin’s Primary School. The application site, which is adjacent to La Rue de la Croix au Maitre, also includes the existing school playground which is to the immediate west of the school. The total area of the site is approximately 1.37ha (7½ vergees).

Field 327-A is currently used as a playing field but is within the Built Up Area boundary at the western edge of St Martin’s Village; under the 2011 Island Plan, the site has been safeguarded for educational use, specifically for the construction of a new school. The site is surrounded by Green Zone on three sides.

Proposed Development

Construct a new primary school (including nursery), together with a new vehicular access and parking area.

Relevant Planning History

This following is an over-view of the recent planning history for the school and for this site.

It has been accepted for some time that the facilities at the current St Martin’s Primary School are well below the minimum modern education space standards and that the school is no longer fit for purpose. For example, part of the school has been housed in temporary ‘porta-cabin’ accommodation since 1995 and the mechanical and electrical services would need to be completely upgraded.

In 2007, a feasibility study was undertaken, the purpose of which was to investigate ways of improving the school facilities. This study considered various options for remodelling and extending the school, as well as looking at the possibility of constructing an entirely new school on an adjacent site. The feasibility report was initially published in March 2007, but was updated and re-issued in December 2008.

The conclusion of the study was that there is insufficient room to expand the school within the current site and that the construction of a new school was the best option in terms of cost-effectiveness; it would also be the least disruptive to the day to day operation of the school (as it would not have to be temporarily re-located) and would provide the most modern facilities in line with current educational standards.

Two possible sites for a new school were to be considered; Field 327 to the immediate north of the existing school and Field 327-A to the north-west.

Under the previous 2002 Island Plan (which was in effect at this time), Field 327 was safeguarded for educational use. However, this site was in private ownership and it was not clear whether it would be able to be secured, or if it was, what the cost implications would be. By contrast Field 327-A was already in public ownership and was designated as ‘Important Open Space’ within the 2002 plan.

If it was possible to relocate the existing playing field within Field 327-A (ideally to the nearby parish green), then Field 327-A would be the preferred location for the new school. It was acknowledged that the zoning of 327-A would need to be addressed in order for this to happen – a ‘swap’ of the zones between the two fields was suggested.

Subsequent to this, it appeared likely that the zoning constraints of Field 327-A would be problematic. Therefore, a supplement to the original feasibility study was published in December 2009 which focussed on two options for developing Field 327 (a single-storey option and a two-storey option for the new school).

In September 2009, the consultation process for the new Island Plan began with the publication of a Draft Island Plan ‘White Paper’. In this Paper, Policy SCO1 continued to safeguard Field 327 for educational use. In March 2010, the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture formally requested that either Field 327 or 327-A be retained in the plan for the development of a new school.

The White Paper consultation process ended at the end of March. In May, the Minister for Planning & Environment published his response to the consultation; the Minister supported policy SC01 in relation to Field 327, but was not minded to support any change to the designation of 327-A at this stage.

In September / October 2010, an Examination In Public (EIP), chaired by a UK Planning Inspector, was undertaken on the White Paper and the responses which had been received. The Inspector’s report, which was issued in November 2010, referred to the Minister’s decision not to include Field 327-A.

In November 2010, the Minister for Education, Sport & Culture wrote to the Minister for Planning & Environment confirming that Field 327-A was now the preferred option for the new school and a cross-departmental, round-table discussion was held in February 2011 to discuss the possible re-zoning of this field to accommodate this.

A further letter was received, in February 2011, from the Minister for ESC, which re-iterated his preference for Field 327-A.

This fed into the Island Plan debate and when the Revised Draft Island Plan was lodged in the States on 29th March 2011, Policy SCO1 now confirmed that the States’ owned Field 327-A was to be safeguarded for the construction of a new school. At the same time, Field 327 reverted back to Green Zone. A copy of the Revised Draft Island Plan, together with a schedule of all of the agreed amendments, was sent to all States members.

Between 23-25 May 2011, the Revised Draft Island Plan underwent a further ‘mini’ EIP in order to consider further last minute amendments. In the report which was published, no reference was made to Policy SCO1, or to Field 327-A, because this amendment had already been accepted.

When the Revised Draft Island Plan was debated by the House, there was no objection to Policy SCO1* and it was not amended. Following the debate, the Island Plan was approved by the House and subsequently adopted on 29th July 2011.

* the policy basis for the application is expanded below under ‘Policy Considerations’.

In September 2011, the States Business Plan for 2012 was published; this included the sum of £7.73m, within its capital programme, for the construction of a new primary school for St Martin. The Treasury Minister had previously committed, in 2010, to the replacement of St Martin’s School.

In February 2012, consultation began on the Development Brief for the new school, inviting comments from members of the public. The purpose of the Development Brief was to establish the parameters and general development principles for the new school. This process concluded in March 2012 and the Minister for Planning and Environment adopted the brief on 11th June 2012.

Shortly thereafter, the current planning application was submitted on 3rd July 2012.

Consultations

Two possible highway / parking options were originally tabled by the applicants. One of these provides car parking on the site, the other (the preferred option) involves making use of the nearby large Parish car park (requiring Parish agreement) – see full discussion below under ‘Access, car parking & highway considerations’. At the time the application was submitted, discussions between the applicant and Parish were still ongoing and so the ‘on-site’ parking option represented the plan which was to be formally considered.

The Highways section of TTS, in its undated consultation response (r’ced 02/10/2012), stated that the Department could not support the planning application in this form. This is because parents who, under this arrangement, would continue to use the parish car park to drop-off and collect children, would be likely to take the most direct walking route to the school which would involve them mingling with traffic. Without some alteration to the parish car park, this would be very hazardous.

TTS note that they have been working closely with the Parish and the applicants on coming up with a proposal which re-works the car park layout, entrance and pedestrian walking routes in order to accommodate this new pedestrian desire line. They strongly recommend that this agreed arrangement be formally incorporated into the scheme before the application is approved.

Since this original comment was received, the applicants have produced a third option which still involves locating the majority of parking within the school site but which makes some improvement to both the highway and the parish-owned roadside bank in order to accommodate a new walking route to the school. TTS Highways, in an email dated 19/10/2012, have confirmed that they would be prepared to accept this alternative solution and are happy to co-operate on the necessary highway improvements.

The Drainage section of TTS, in its consultation response dated 31/07/2012, state that there is a foul sewer within La Rue de la Croix Maitre which has the capacity for the proposal. The new development may require upgrading or extension of the existing infrastructure, details of which must be agreed with them. They also comment on the issue of surface water drainage.

The Environmental Health Team of H&SS, in its consultation response dated 07/09/2012, comment on the issues of food hygiene and general sanitation arrangements. They also comment on the possibility of asbestos within the existing building.

All consultations are attached with the background papers

Representations

The application has generated a considerable amount of interest mainly from St Martin parishioners, but also from those living elsewhere in the island and even further afield.

The Department has received a total of 55 letters of objection to the application. In addition, a petition against the proposal has also been submitted. The following concerns are raised;

Overdevelopment / the loss of open green space is unacceptable and will harm the character of the area;
Public views across the site would be lost;
St Martin has been over-developed in recent years;
The loss of playing fields is unacceptable – there is already a shortage of such facilities within the island and these facilities are irreplaceable;
If there no alternative, then finding a replacement sports pitch within the Parish should form part of the application;
The existing school should be modernised and refurbished – there is ample room on site to extend;
A compromised design is possible whereby the existing building is retained as a school and extended into part of Field 327-A (the existing playground), not taking up the whole field;
Alternative proposals to a new school have not been properly considered or costed;
The proposed scheme is too costly in the current economic climate;
The proposed school is predominantly single-storey – this is not an efficient use of land, two-storey should be considered;
There is a lack of energy-saving technology within the proposed scheme;
The design and layout of the proposed school is poor;
There is no need to convert the existing school building into a community facility – existing such facilities are underused;
Existing trees on the field will be lost;
The public consultation exercise was ‘a charade’ and the process seemed to be a ‘fait accompli’;
The re-designation of Field 327-A as ‘safeguarded for educational use’ does not necessarily mean it must be built upon;
The legal problems around the issue of land ownership could be resolved;
The Village Green should not be developed as a replacement sports pitch;
The premise of Island Plan policies which support this proposal is challenged. For instance, the Draft Island Plan continued to retain Field 327-A as Important Open Space, and Field 327 was to be safeguarded for educational use – this was changed at the eleventh hour and unwittingly accepted as an amendment ‘by default’. The public were not properly consulted on the re-zoning.
The redevelopment of existing educational sites will only be permitted where these are surplus to requirement – this is not the case with the existing school building;
The parking situation has not yet been satisfactorily resolved;
Relocating the playing field to the opposite side of the road would be dangerous to pupils;

A total of 195 letters of support have been received and registered. The following points are made;

The school is old and is very short on space;
Part of the school is housed in temporary classrooms which is unacceptable;
The school isn’t suitable for refurbishment – it cannot deliver a modern educational curriculum;
The children of the parish will suffer if permission is not granted;
Children in other parishes have much better facilities;
This process has been ongoing for a long time – further delays are unacceptable;
The loss of the playing field is regrettable but unavoidable – the football pitch is used infrequently compared to the use that a new school would get;
None of the renovation proposals would result in a satisfactory school – a new school is the only acceptable option;
The application clearly complies with the Island Plan policies which allow for a new school – the Island Plan was overwhelmingly approved by the States;
There has been a lengthy and exhaustive process leading up to the submission of the application – expert recommendations clearly identify the need for a new school;
The current plans show a well-designed building with a new nature area;

A number of additional letters of support were submitted, but were unable to be registered owing to insufficient contact details being provided.

In addition, the Parish Deputy has written in support of the proposal. He has stressed the need for a modern ‘fit for purpose’ school and made the following points;

St Martin’s Football Club are to relocate to Maufant – this has been agreed and they are happy with this arrangement;
The Connétable and Deputy confirm that a cricket pitch could be built on the parish green if required;
The current position has been arrived at following years of consultation, consideration and planning – the current school facilities are little short of disgraceful;

The Assistant Treasury Minister has also formally commented on the need for a new school and the allocation of capital funding for the project. He also comments on the issue of parking – both within the site and also on the parish land.

The Assistant Director of Education, Sport and Culture has confirmed that discussions have taken place with St Martin’s Football Club regarding finding them a new base.

Responses from Agent / Applicant

The applicant’s agent (the States of Jersey Architects) responded at length to the comments received. They stress that all of the alternative options for re-using the existing building were comprehensively considered during the feasibility study. The rationale for the design is also re-iterated and the building’s sustainable / energy-efficient design is noted. With regard to the loss of the playing field, it is noted that alternative facilities for the parish football club have been agreed.

In addition, the co-applicant (Head of Policy & Strategy for ESC) has commented extensively on the inadequacies of the existing building and the need for the development, particularly as a single facility offering nursery and primary education within one building.

All letters of representation and responses are attached with the background papers

Planning Assessment

a) Policy Considerations

GD1 General Development Considerations

GD7 Design Quality

GD8 Percentage for Art

SCO 1 Educational Facilities

SCO 4 Protection of open space

TT 5 Road safety

NR 7 Renewable energy in new developments

GD1 General Development Considerations

Policy GD1 outlines the general considerations against which all planning applications will be tested. Broadly speaking, the policy highlights the need for the following; ensuring the sustainability of all new development proposals; assessing their impact on the surrounding environment and neighbouring land users; understanding the travel and transport implications of new developments, and; ensuring consideration is given to the design and architecture of all new developments.

GD7 Design Quality

The policy requires a high quality of design that respects, conserves and contributes positively to the diversity and distinctiveness of the landscape and the built context, to be sought in all developments.

Scale, form, massing & siting, the relationship to existing buildings, settlement form & character, topography, design details, colours & finishes and landscaping are all important factors to consider.

GD8 Percentage for Art

Where appropriate, the Minister for Planning and Environment will encourage the contribution of a percentage of design and development costs to the provision of public art.

The applicants have acknowledged this policy and have stated that they are prepared to include some form of public art as part of the redevelopment.

SCO 1 Educational Facilities

This is the critical policy of the Island Plan to be considered in connection with this application.

The policy clearly states that Field 327-A has been safeguarded specifically for the construction of a new primary school to replace the existing one (the planning history to this re-zoning decision is set out above).

Within the preamble to the policy, it states the following;

7.12 – The demographics of the Island suggest that a reduction in primary school pupil numbers is likely over the Plan period, spread fairly evenly across the primary sector. It is not envisaged, however, that this would result in the requirement for any primary school closure and is likely to be managed, where necessary, by a reduction in the scale of two-form entry schools.

7.13 – St Martin's Primary School, however, is an exception, where the roll is predicted to remain at 175 primary school pupils with 30 nursery places. Unfortunately the existing school and nursery is well below the minimum space standards with no further capacity on the site to extend the facilities. To address this deficiency, provision for a new primary school and nursery unit is currently included in the States capital programme, and the existing football pitch, field 327A, has been identified as being an appropriate location and of sufficient size to provide for both the new school buildings and a junior football pitch.

7.14 – Planning guidance will be provided in the form of a planning brief to determine the location of the new building, its design, form, energy efficiency, colour, materials, access and landscaping.

7.15 – Any requirement for additional playing field space will be addressed as part of any new Village Plan proposals.

7.16 – The day-to-day running of the existing school will be unaffected during the construction period and remain fully operational. This will provide for an easy transition on completion, when the old school building will revert back to the Parish for community use.

The policy itself goes on to state that proposals for the development of additional educational facilities or for the

extension and/or alteration of existing educational premises will be permitted provided that the proposal is;

within the grounds of existing education facilities, or
on a safeguarded site, or
within the Built-up Area.

To address deficiencies in the provision of education facilities, the following sites are safeguarded for educational use, the alternative development of which will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that they are no longer required for educational purposes;

Field 327A, St. Martin.

SCO 4 Protection of open space

This policy states that the protection of open space is particularly important in the Built-up Area and that the Minister will seek to protect existing open space provision. The loss of open space will not be permitted except where it can be demonstrated that:

its loss will have no serious impact on the adequacy, quality and accessibility of provision of the type of open space affected by the proposal; or
alternative replacement provision of the same or better extent, quality and accessibility of open space can be provided; or,
the proposal will be of greater community or Island benefit than the existing open space resource; or
its loss would not seriously harm the character and appearance of the locality.

The Minister will note the concerns of objectors to the loss of the open space. In this case, there is clear policy provision for the development of this site in accordance with Policy SCO 1 above. In any event, the proposal is considered to be justified under clause 3 of this policy.

TT 5 Road safety

At paragraph 8.68, the preamble to the policy states that the pedestrian environment of the Island will be improved by the continued introduction of speed reduction measures, particularly adjacent to schools. Island Plan policies, including the requirement of developers to include measures to reduce vehicle speeds and consider the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, aim to support the implementation of highway measures, to reduce traffic speeds and accidents to contribute towards the objective of improving road safety, and to make cycling and walking more attractive.

The policy itself states that, where appropriate, traffic and pedestrian safety measures, including improved pedestrian crossing facilities, will be implemented on the highway network, particularly in residential areas, and near schools, to improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists, reduce vehicle speeds and enhance the street environment.

NR 7 Renewable energy in new developments

The Minister for Planning and Environment will encourage all developments to incorporate on-site low carbon or renewable energy technologies. However, all non-residential developments with a gross floorspace of 1,000 m2 or (the figure in this instance is 1,968 m2) more will be required to incorporate on-site low carbon or renewable energy production equipment to off-set predicted carbon emissions by at least 10%, except where:

it is demonstrated by the applicant, to the satisfaction of the Minister for Planning and Environment, that such provision would make the development unviable;
it would have an adverse visual or amenity impact that would outweigh the benefits of the technology; or
at least an equivalent impact on carbon emissions can be met by alternative means.

In this instance, a Mechanical & Electrical Services Design statement has been provided. This notes the intention to incorporate an efficient ‘air to water’ heat pump system to heat the building. In addition, the building has been designed to use natural ‘passive’ ventilation and photo-voltaic receivers will also be sited on the roof.

b) Size, scale, form & siting

A Development Brief was issued by the Minister in March 2012, the purpose of which was to provide design guidance and establish a number of key design parameters for the new school.

Crucially, this guidance requires the building to be sited within the south-east quadrant of the site, but also set back from the road, not encroaching beyond the building line established by the existing school. Both of these criteria have been met.

In the remainder of the site, a junior-sized football pitch, a playground and a nature trail must be accommodated – again, these have been provided.

The new school is laid out with two main blocks running in a north / south direction linked by a lower central block where the main entrance is sited. The western block contains the main classrooms, whilst the eastern block has the nursery to its southern end, with other rooms and the school hall to its northern end.

The building is predominantly single-storey, albeit with generous ceiling heights throughout. The reason for this choice is to enable all of the rooms to open out into the external areas. The eastern block has a second storey over part of its footprint, the height is which is only marginally higher than the existing school building.

The design of the building is described more fully within the Architect’s Design Statement, a copy of which is attached.

The design and layout of the building has been carefully conceived in order to comply with modern educational standards. In the Department’s view, the design and layout is acceptable, and we are satisfied that it fulfils the requirements of the approved Development Brief.

c) Architectural design and use of materials

The Development Brief requires that; the visual impact of the school to be minimised through careful siting, design and landscaping and use of materials and colour; attention be given to natural lighting and ventilation and that the school be designed to the highest sustainable standards.

The Design Statement notes that;

‘the proposed materials are sympathetic to the rural setting of the school with a palette encompassing natural granite and timber panels set against white render. The roof covering (will) give a similar traditional appearance to natural stone or slate whilst providing durability and allowing a low roof pitch…the use of contrasting colours (in the roof material) will also help to break up the mass of the roofscape’.

The application was considered by the Minister’s Architecture Commission in February 2012; the Commission was broadly supportive of the proposal, but suggested a number of modifications to the original design were incorporated into the final submission.

In the Department’s view, this is a well-designed scheme.

d) Impact in the landscape / street

The scheme clearly represents an extension of the built form within the street scene, at the western edge of the village. However, this is a well-designed proposal which is set back from the road edge which will retain planting in front.

As established, there is clear provision for this proposal within the island plan, and the impact of the scheme is considered to be acceptable.

e) Impact on neighbours

It is not considered that there are any neighbouring properties which would be unreasonably affected by the siting and scale of the new school.

The applicants have provided a Construction Environmental Management Plan which governs how the appointed contractor would undertake the project. For instance, this establishes such things as hours of working, noise levels, a programme of deliveries, parking of site vehicles and traffic, location of hoardings etc… The intention is to minimise the disruption of the construction process.

f) Access, car parking & highway considerations

This is an issue of fundamental importance to the scheme and the approved Development Brief states the following;

‘The location benefits from a large Parish car park and to make the most efficient use of land, the applicant must engage with the Parish to ensure that the existing car park provides parking for teachers and parents (during drop-off and pick-up times). This should be in the form of a formal agreement between the applicant and the Parish covering the use, and contribution to the maintenance of the car park and may be the subject of a planning obligation agreement.

The Minister acknowledges that some parking and access must occur on the site of the new school. Accordingly, consideration must be given to providing appropriate access for disabled drivers, public transport and service vehicles, such as school transport, emergency, delivery, maintenance and refuse vehicles. In addition careful consideration must be given to understanding and providing for school drop-off and pick-up, ensuring overall that pedestrian safety is not compromised by agreeing and implementing appropriate traffic management.

Discussions were held early on in the design process between the applicants (the Education Department & Property Holdings), the Parish and the highway authority (TTS Highways); this resulted in a ‘preferred option’ being broadly agreed by all parties which is reflected in the above-quoted paragraphs from the Development Brief.

Essentially, this ‘preferred option’ involves the repositioning of the pedestrian and vehicle entrances within the parish car park, together with a series of alterations to the existing traffic calming islands in the main road. If implemented, this will improve pedestrian and vehicle segregation and provide improved (safer) desire lines for pedestrian access between the school and car park.

Unfortunately, at the time the application was submitted, such formal agreement had yet to be reached. As such, two possible highway options were originally tabled by the applicants as part of this application.

One of these was the preferred option as described above. However, in the event that formal agreement could not be reached between the applicants and the Parish, then an alternative ‘fall-back’ option was also put forward which involves providing all of the required parking within the application site.

As noted, TTS Highways have confirmed that they actively support the ‘preferred option’, but object to the alternative proposal on the grounds of pedestrian safety.

The applicants are still working towards resolving this matter and a meeting of the Parish Assembly is scheduled for 31/10/12. Unfortunately, the department’s report has had to be finalised before then, so the outcome of the meeting cannot be reported here.

Since the TTS comments were received, the applicants have produced a third option which still involves the creation of a car park within the school site but which also proposes some improvement to the public highway and pedestrian access to the parish car park. This is not as satisfactory as the ‘preferred option’ but TTS Highways have confirmed that they would be prepared to support this third option as an alternative if it were the only solution.

This is disappointing as it was hoped that the creation of a large new car park within the site could be avoided. However, the Department would be prepared to support this third option.

g) Foul sewage & surface water disposal

The new school will connect to the public foul sewer network which has capacity for the development. TTS Drainage have requested permeable paving to areas of hardstanding in order to limit surface water run off into the drainage network.

h) Landscaping

The approved Development Brief comments on the issue of landscaping, requiring the retention of the existing roadside boundary trees, together with new significant tree planting along the northern boundary of the site in order to provide a backdrop for the school. The creation of a natural habitat area should also be considered.

These elements are shown on the submitted plans but not in any great detail.

The applicants have confirmed that they intend to provide a full landscaping scheme which will be submitted in due course. This will be required by way of condition.

i) Archaeology

n/a

j) Waste management

The application does not involve any demolition so there are no waste management issues.

k) Planning Obligations & Percent for Art

A Planning Obligation Agreement may be necessary in order to secure the necessary off-site highway improvements as noted above under ‘Access, parking & highway considerations’.

The Development Brief states that the States of Jersey, having shown a commitment to Percentage for Art within the Island Plan, should set an example through its own development projects. The Brief states that;

‘the development of a new public building, such as a school, presents the opportunity to include public art as an integral part of the design process, to be incorporated into the new facility. The preferred option is for the pupils to become involved, under the supervision of a local artist, in this element of the design’.

A Percentage for Art statement has been provided confirming that a local artist has been engaged. The intention is to provide a series of ceramic installations throughout the school in both the classrooms and communal areas. The children will be involved in the process of creating the art work.

l) Contaminated Land

n/a

m) Sustainability

The land has been safeguarded for the purpose of constructing a new school. A requirement of the Development Brief is that the new building be highly sustainable with regard to its design and construction

n) Other matters

Comments have been made about the future use of the existing school building. To be clear, this does not form part of the current application. The building is owned by the Parish and will revert back to the parish in due course once the new school is operational.

A Crime Impact Statement has been submitted which considers such issues as external lighting, CCTV, fencing, appropriate landscaping, vandal / graffiti-resistant surfaces and fixtures etc…

Conclusion

The application is for the development of a replacement primary school for the parish of St Martin.

In the Department’s view, this is a scheme which has been well-designed to meet modern educational standards and which fulfils the requirements of the approved Development Brief.

Department Recommendation	The application is recommended for approval, subject to the conditions set out below and also the completion of a Planning Obligation Agreement (POA) within 3 months of the date of the determination, to secure delivery of the necessary off-site highway / pedestrian safety improvements. If the POA is not completed, then the Department recommend that the Director of Planning is given delegated authority to refuse the application.

Conditions & Reasons	Conditions The development hereby approved shall be carried out entirely in accordance with the plans and documents permitted under this permit. No variations shall be made without the prior written approval of the Minister for Planning and Environment. Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted, the highway highway improvement scheme, as shown within plan number [to be confirmed following Parish assembly meeting ] shall be implemented in full. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted, samples of all of the external materials to be used shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Minister for Planning and Environment. High quality photographic evidence (including product literature) may be sufficient for some items. The development hereby permitted shall not be commenced until there has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Minister for Planning and Environment, a scheme of landscaping which shall provide details of the following; a) all existing trees, hedgerows and other plants, walls, fences and other features which it is proposed to retain on the site and on adjoining land within the same ownership; b) the position of all new trees and/or shrubs, this must include the species of plant(s)/tree(s) to be planted, their size, number and spacing and the means to be used to support and protect them; c) other landscape treatments to be carried out or features to be created, for example, any excavation works, surfacing treatments, or means of enclosure; d) the measures to be taken to protect existing trees and shrubs; and e) the arrangements to be made for the maintenance of the landscaped areas. All planting and other operations comprised in the approved landscaping scheme shall be carried out and completed in the first planting season following the completion of the development. The applicant's attention is drawn to the comments made by Transport and Technical Services regarding foul drainage in its consultation response dated 31/07/12. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, the applicant must reach an agreement with the Minister for Transport and Technical Services regarding the provision of additional foul drainage infrastructure and the inclusion of appropriate permeable paving as part of the scheme. Thereafter, works in connection with these two matters must be undertaken to the satisfaction of the Minister. A Percentage for Art (PFA) contribution shall be delivered in the form as agreed by the Minister for Planning and Environment and detailed in the submitted and approved PFA statement. Reasons To ensure that the development is carried out and completed in accordance with the details approved by the Minister for Planning and Environment, in accordance with Policy GD 1 of the 2011 Island Plan. In the interests of highway safety, in accordance with Policy GD 1 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2011. The execution of this development is considered to be critical to its success, and the Minister wishes to be assured as to the quality of these details, under the provisions of Policies GD 1 & GD 7 of the 2011 Island Plan. To ensure that before development proceeds, provision is made for a landscaping regime that will enhance the appearance of the development and help to assimilate it into the landscape, in accordance with Policies GD 1 and NE 4 of the 2011 Island Plan. In order to satisfy the requirements of Policies GD 1, LWM 2 and LWM 3 of the 2011 Island Plan. So as to accord with the provisions of Island Plan policy GD 8.
Reason for Approval	Permission has been granted by the Minister for Planning and Environment having taken into account the relevant policies of the approved Island Plan, together with other relevant policies and all other material considerations, including the consultations and representations received. The approved development is for the construction of a new primary school on Field 327-A in St Martin, together with associated external works, including highway improvements. This will replace the existing school which is no longer fit for purpose. A significant number of objections have been received on the applications; however, the application has also generated a high level of local support. The content of all of these representations has been noted by the Minister. The application is considered to be fully compliant with the relevant policies of the Island Plan, in particular Policy SCO 1 which has specifically safeguarded Field 327-A for the development of a new primary school for St Martin.
Background Papers	1:2500 Location Plan Chronology of re-zoning process Approved Development Brief Set of Proposed Plans Architect’s Design Statement + Mechanical & Electrical services Outline Construction Environment Management Plan Percentage for Art Statement Crime Impact Statement 3 Consultee Responses 55 letters of objection 195 letters of support Applicants’ Letters of Response General Correspondence between Dept. + Agent / Applicants

Endorsed by:

Date: