Agenda item

Demolition of the existing school buildings and construction of a new school and community centre complete with all external landscaping, access road and car parking. Installation of ancillary structures including free standing canopies, cycle shelters, refuse compounds and sprinkler tanks and all external play equipment as required to support the new school building.

 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Menna Trenholme

 

Link to relevant background documents

 

DECISION: To approve with conditions

 

1. Time (five years).

2. In accordance with the plans.

3. Agree on final materials and colours.

4. Transport conditions.

5. Archaeological conditions.

6. Landscaping and trees condition.

7. Biodiversity condition.

8. Prior conditions agreement for external light.

9. Public Protection conditions.

10. Welsh Water conditions.

11. Natural Resources Wales conditions.

12. Limit working hours during the construction period.

13. A Welsh name for the school.

14. Welsh language signs.

 

Notes

1. Welsh Water.

2. Natural Resources Wales.

3. Highways.

4. SUDS.

5. Major Application Note.

 

Demolish existing school building and construct a new school and community centre and all the external landscaping, access road and parking. Installation of ancillary structures including free standing canopies, bicycle shelters, refuse area and sprinkler tanks and all external play equipment as required to support the new school building.

 

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

 

a)     The Senior Planning Officer highlighted that the development would include a new Welsh-medium primary school for 210 learners and a community centre, provisions for a Cylch Meithrin, learners with Additional Learning Needs, as well as a community hall and full changing areas. The building would be two-storey and designed with sustainable principles to reduce the demand for energy. 

 

It was reported that the site was in an area that was mainly residential within the development boundary of the Bontnewydd Service Village as shown in the LDP's Inset Maps. The eastern section of the site was within the Bontnewydd Conservation area with several listed buildings opposite to the east. The site was located on the outskirts of Afon Gwyrfai Phosphorus Special Conservation Area (SAC); within Zone B in the Development Advice Maps, as referred to in Technical Advice Note (TAN 15): Development and Flood Risk (2004); and partly located within flood zones 2 and 3 (Rivers and Sea, and Surface Water and Watercourses) and Defence Zone (Rivers) according to the Flood Map for Planning.  

 

The application was submitted to the Committee as it was a building that exceeded 1000 square metres.

 

It was noted that Policy ISA 2 Community Facilities of the LDP was supportive to provide new community facilities. It was considered that the proposal addressed the five main criteria in the policy as the site was located within the Bontnewydd development boundary on the accessible site of the previous School, and it was reasonable to try to erect a new building that had been specifically designed for modern environmental and educational requirements given the condition of the existing building.

 

In the context of visual amenities, it was noted that the development increased the floor area of the school building by approximately a third, but there would be a more effective use of space by replacing two one-storey buildings with one two-storey building. It was acknowledged that there would be some visible impact, but it was considered that the development would respect the context of its site in accordance with the requirements of Policy PCYFF 3, and it would not have a detrimental impact on the conservation area and would therefore comply with the relevant requirements of Policy AT 1.

 

In the context of general and residential amenities, it was reported that the development did not change the use of the site or the number of learners, and although the building was larger, the distances between the school and nearby houses remained reasonable; there was therefore no expectation to see a significant increase in overlooking or a dominating impact. It was elaborated that light and noise mitigation measures would be included in the design to reduce the impacts on local residents, as well as conditions to agree any additional lights. Community use of external facilities such as the Multi-use Games Area court would be limited to daylight hours, because no bespoke external lighting was part of the application, and therefore would be tantamount to the current use of this area as playing fields.

 

Some temporary disruption was expected during the construction phase, but this could be managed through a condition to accept the Environmental Impact Management Plan beforehand which would set out the mitigation measures for any disruption; it was not considered that the development would have a significant detrimental impact on local amenities, and it complied with policies PCYFF 2 and PCYFF 3 of the LDP.

 

When considering Transport and Access matters, it was noted that there were current traffic problems at the School which included a narrow access, lack of parking space and conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, especially at busy times. It was explained that the development introduced a new one-way system with a stacking path on the site to reduce congestion and improve safety.  Pedestrians and vehicles would be better separated through specific footpaths, and parking and drop-off spaces would be provided from the main road. The proposal's Travel Plan would promote sustainable travel, and the Transportation Unit had no objection to the proposal. Consequently, it was considered that the application satisfied the requirements of policies PS 4, TRA 2 and TRA 4 which aimed to ensure provision for transport that was sustainable and safe for all users.

 

A Green Infrastructure Statement, Ecological Surveys and a Landscape Plan were submitted as part of the application. Bats were not present on the site. The Biodiversity Unit had no ecological concerns regarding the development, and it was noted that the tree planting scheme was generally suitable, but changes were suggested to choose species that better suited the local area.

 

Although the site abutted a protected site (Afon Gwyrfai and Llyn Cwellyn SAC), the work was limited to the existing footprint as well as a connection to the main sewer system and was treated by the Llanfaglan WasteWater Treatment Works that disposed into afon Gwyrfai.

 

It was acknowledged that the capacity of the new School would increase as a result of the proposal, but the number of children currently in the school would not increase (although this may change naturally from year to year) and there was no change to the catchment area.  It was highlighted that the school catchment area aligned with the area and the villages that were served by the Llanfaglan WasteWater Treatment Works, and therefore any increase in the number of children at school would come from these areas. Community use of the school already existed, and although the new building would possibly entail more community use, this was as a result of improving facilities that would have been possible on the existing site by creating more suitable spaces within the existing buildings. This meant that there would be no additional users as a result of this proposal, and that users lived within the area already served by the Llanfaglan WasteWater Treatment Works, be that in their homes or at school/community centre. In this respect, the development indicated a phosphorus neutrality compared with the current situation and therefore there was no additional or detrimental impact on the SAC that currently failed to attain the water quality targets.

 

It was considered that any surface water and construction pollution could be addressed through appropriate control and pollution prevention measures. There would be no detrimental impact on the special conservation area and the development satisfied the requirements of Policies PS19, AMG 5 and AMG 6 of the LDP, as well as the Regulations for Conservation of Habitats and Species 2017 (as amended) which encouraged proposals to protect, and where appropriate, enhance the area's biodiversity and ensured that there was no detrimental impact on internationally protected sites.

 

The matters of Flooding, Drainage, Archaeological / Heritage, Sustainability, the Welsh Language and the response to the public consultation had received a full assessment and it was considered that these matters were acceptable subject to relevant conditions. It was considered that the proposal was acceptable, and the officers recommended to approve the application with conditions.

 

b)     Taking advantage of the right to speak, the Local Member made the following comments:

·        She was supportive of the application

·        Ysgol Bontnewydd was one of three schools that were part of the Sustainable Schools Challenge 2023 (an enterprise by the Welsh Government to design and build zero-net schools that include high-quality community resources)

·        Ysgol Bontnewydd offered itself as a convenient location in the centre of the village, with public transport and footpaths passing the school that would promote active travel

·        The site was close to nature with a garden and a forest on the site that would enrich pupils' experiences

·        The new building provided a modern, safe and suitable environment for the future, improving pupils' daily well-being and learning experiences

·        The capacity was similar to what was already there, namely space for 210 reception to year 6 learners, 30 nursery and space for a cylch meithrin - this created a continuous education pathway from early years onwards

·        The pupils had been an active part of the process, contributing ideas on reusing building materials and gaining a practical understanding of sustainable construction, the circular economy and STEM subjects - this had given the children good learning opportunities by allowing them to feel part of the project from the start

·        Residents had been part of the consultation process

·        The new building would be eco-friendly and constructed to the latest standards with low incorporated carbon that would contribute to the 2030 net-zero carbon target - this sent a strong message to children to care about the environment and take responsibility for their future

·        The community centre would be active for the village residents and the wider area

·        A positive investment in our children, our community and our future

·        As a parent to children in the school, she was looking forward to seeing the opportunities that this building would bring

 

It was proposed and seconded to approve the application

 

c)     During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made by Members:

·        Happy to support an improvement in school standards

·        The space was better and accessible for children

·        A bespoke building to save energy

·        Led to spending less on maintenance, fuel and heating

·        Welcomed the investment - it would benefit the village

·        The development was a modern, appropriate design

·        The timber cladding looked good at the start, but it soon appeared to be in poor condition

·        Many new schools had been constructed in Gwynedd and although the buildings were better, were lessons being learnt from each development?

 

In response to an observation that many of the new schools constructed in the County were partly with flat roofs that were not long lasting, and whether there was a mechanism in place or budget to re-roof in about 20 years, it was noted that budget matters were not relevant planning considerations, but a plan would certainly be in place to maintain the buildings appropriately.

 

In response to an observation regarding an electric minibus/car charging point on the site that would comply with the energy saving principles, it was noted that that was not part of the application, but it could be a future consideration.

 

In response to an observation that it would be good to see an overview of the response from staff, pupils and governors to the application and that there was a place to consider including these in future reports, it was noted that observations from the public had been incorporated in the report and there was an opportunity for third parties to submit observations at the committee, but the observation for this type of application was accepted.

 

RESOLVED: To approve with conditions

 

1. Time (five years).

2. In accordance with the plans.

3. Agree on final materials and colours.

4. Transport conditions.

5. Archaeological conditions.

6. Landscaping and trees condition.

7. Biodiversity condition.

8. Prior conditions agreement for external light.

9. Public Protection Conditions.

10. Welsh Water conditions.

11. Natural Resources Wales conditions.

12. Limit working hours during the construction period.

13. A Welsh name for the school.

14. Welsh language Signs.

 

Notes

1. Welsh Water.

2. Natural Resources Wales.

3. Highways.

4. SUDS.

5. Major Application Note.