HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
EDUCATION & SKILLS CABINET PANEL
THURSDAY 10 MAY 2012 AT 10:00 AM
STEVENAGE , LONSDALESPECIALSCHOOL, WEBB RISE
TO CONSIDER THE FUTURE OF THE EXISTING SITE
Report of the Director of Resources & Performance
Authors:
Dick Bowler, Estates Manger01992 556263
Wisal Anwar, Senior Estates Officer01992 555221
Kate Ma, Senior School Planning Officer01992 555858
Executive Members: David Lloyd, Deputy Leader & Executive Member for Resources & Economic Well-Being
Frances Button (Education and Skills)
Colette Wyatt-Lowe (Health and Adult Care)
Local member:Sharon Taylor (Bedwell Division)
1. Purpose of report
1.1To invite the Panel’s support for a proposed strategy for the future use of the existing site of the LonsdaleSpecialSchool, Stevenage, once the School has relocated to its new premises.
2.Summary
2.1LonsdaleSchool opened in 1971 and is an all age school (3‐18) withinpurpose‐built, partresidential,special school premises catering for around 80 pupils with physical andneurological impairments. The premises were constructed by means of one of the then current system building formats and they are coming to the end of their design and useful economic life.
2.2As part of the County Council’s changes to secondary school
provision in Stevenage, the LonsdaleSpecialSchool is being provided with new premises that areco‐located with the MarriottsSchool. The School is currently expected tomove to the new premises in September 2012.
2.3At an earlier stage in the strategy for secondary school places in Stevenage this site was earmarked for disposal for housing development, with resultant capital receipt, and an allocation for dwelling numbers made in the emerging Stevenage Borough Council town planning framework that was informed by a draft planning application. A recent planning application for housing redevelopment has been withdrawn to allow re-consideration of the strategy for school place provision in the area.
2.4In recognition of the more recently emerged need to meet forecast rising demand for primary school places in North Stevenage, the County Council has sought to identify potentially suitable and available school expansion options that could facilitate the delivery of additional school places in the areas of need; and so also to understand the potential requirements for re-use of the Lonsdale site.
2.5Pupil forecasts projected a shortage of Reception places for the north of Stevenage Town from 2012/13 onwards, but actual primary applications for entry in 2012/13 do not now indicate a need for additional places for September 2012 and it is expected that there will be sufficient surplus capacity in other parts of the town to accommodate potential unsatisfied demand for places in 2013/14.
2.6Current forecasts indicate a permanent need for an additional 3FE primary capacity in the north of Stevenage from 2014/15, over and above the 2FE of additional capacity being provided at FairlandsSchool and MartinsWoodSchool. As well as this, forecasts indicate a temporary 1FE of additional need in the South East of Stevenage for 2014/15.
2.7Work has been undertaken to identify primary school place expansion capability in the north Stevenage area. That work has shown that expansion of TrottsHillPrimary School, a popular school, by 1FE to 2FE could be achieved if the adjoining care home, Wisden Court, is re-sited.
2.8Wisden Court is owned by the county council,is leased to the home operator, Runwood Homes, from whom the county council purchases the majority of the places in the home.
2.9It is another property that is coming to the end of its useful economic life and requires either substantial investment to prolong its life or re-provision of the places.
2.10Potentially, therefore, the County Council could enable both the possible future expansion of TrottsHillPrimary School and the re-provision of the care home places at Wisden Court if a scheme of development for a new care home can be established, via appropriate planning applications, on a part of the existing site of LonsdaleSpecialSchool.
2.11And with the availability of such an expansion of TrottsHillPrimary School site there will be sufficient school site capacity in north Stevenage to meet the forecast need for additional places from 2014/15.
3.Recommendations
3.1The Panel is invited to recommendto Cabinet:
3.2That the potential for future enlargement of the site of TrottsHillPrimary School, Stevenage, be investigated;and, with that objective:
(a)A planning application be made for a residential care home for the elderly on a part of the existing site of Lonsdale Special School, Stevenage, with a view to establishing the feasibility of re-siting the Wisden Court home at that location; and
(b)At the same time,a planning application for housing development be re-submitted for the balance of the Lonsdale site,with a view to establishing the potential of that land to contribute to the additional housing needs in the Borough of Stevenage; the Director Resources and Performance in consultation with the Executive Members for Resources and Economic Wellbeing and Health and Adult Care, be authorised to determine the division of the site for residential care home and housing, and
(c)A further report is brought to Cabinet once the outcome of the application for the residential care home for the elderly is available.
4.Background
4.1LonsdaleSchool opened in 1971 and is an all age (3‐18), purpose‐built, part residentialspecial school catering for around 80 pupils with physical andneurological impairments.
4.2As part of the County Council’s to secondary education provision in Stevenage,LonsdaleSpecialSchool is relocating to new premises that are co‐located with MarriottsSchool. This move is currently expected to take place in September 2012.
4.3The Lonsdale site is approximately 3.95ha in extent as shown on the plan at Appendix 1. The site is split either side of a private access road that also serves LarwoodSpecialSchool to the south.
4.4The main, east, site includes the existing school buildings and surrounding grounds. The west site comprises playing field, a drainage balancing pond and two dwellings.
4.5The dwellings are occupied by residential care staff at the LonsdaleSchool and will continue to be so occupied after the relocation of the existing school to its new site and premises as that scheme has not included replacement dwellings.
4.6The west part of the site is covered by an urban open land planning policy and so it is not appropriate to consider alternative use of that land for a use that would require additional buildings.
4.7The planning feasibility work undertaken in respect of the east part of the site shows capability for development of approximately 90 dwellings, comprising a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom units. In accordance with current and emerging planning policies, some 40% of the dwellings will be required to comprise affordable homes for people whose needs are not met by the private housing market.
4.8A recent planning application for housing redevelopment has been withdrawn to allow a further protected species survey work to be completed and also re-consideration of the strategy for school place provision in the area. The indicative layout submitted with the application showed a development of 90 dwellings comprising 82 family dwellings and 8 flats.
5. The Need for and Assessment of Primary School Site Capacity
5.1Earlier primary pupil forecasts projected a shortage of Reception places for the north of Stevenage Town from 2012/13 onwards, but actual primary applications for entry in 2012/13 do not now indicate a need for additional places for September 2012 and it is expected that there will be sufficient surplus capacity in other parts of the town to accommodate potential unsatisfied demand for places in 2013/14.
5.2Current forecasts indicate a permanent need for an additional 3FE primary capacity in the north of Stevenage from 2014/15, over and above the 2FE of additional capacity being provided at FairlandsSchool and MartinsWoodSchool. As well as this, forecasts indicate a temporary 1FE of additional need in the South East of Stevenage for 2014/15.
5.3Given the changes in the pupil demand forecast, a review of the earlier strategy has taken place and the initial findings are that there is significant site capacity in several primary schools in north Stevenage, in some cases subject to a need to secure use of additional playing fields.
5.4A map showing the location of the primary and special schools in north Stevenage is provided at Appendix 2.
5.5Adjoining the site of TrottsHillPrimary School is Wisden Court, a Residential Care Home for Older People that is owned by the county council and leased to the home operator. The home is shown on the plan at Appendix 3. Should it be possible to re-locate that care home the county council would be able to consider a future expansion of the capacity of TrottsHillPrimary School from 1FE to 2 FE. Trotts Hill is a popular school and is located within the area of forecast additional need.
6.Wisden Court
6.1This home was developed on a site that was originally part of the education land holding at this location. It is a single storey building constructed by the county council as a 48 place home laid out in 6 wings each with 8 care places.
6.2Like many homes of that type, Wisden Court coming to the end of its useful economic life and requires either substantial investment to prolong its life or re-provision of the places.
6.3There is the opportunity to plan for the re-provision of the care places, in partnership with the operator, by development of a new care home on a part of the Lonsdale site, integrated with a housing scheme master plan.
6.4It is proposed that the potential feasibility of re-siting Wisden Court in that way, and freeing up its existing site to enable the future expansion of TrottsHillPrimary School, is established by seeking planning permission of the proposed new home.
7.Property Development and Financial Implications
7.1Confidential information regarding possible layout options for the future redevelopment of the east part of the site of Lonsdale Special School together with in principle financial implications are provide the report on the Part II agenda for this meeting.
8.Conclusions
8.1The forecast need for additional primary school places in North of Stevenage is expected to be capable of being met from existing reserve capacity. If a part of theLonsdaleSchool site can be used to facilitate the re-provision of Wisden Court care home an option to increase the capacity of TrottsHillPrimary School would be available.
Appendices
Appendix 1 -LonsdaleSchoolSite Plan
Appendix 2 - Plan of school sites in north Stevenage
Appendix 3 - Wisden Court Site Plan
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120510 Lonsdale School