Planning Statement Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation 1: Northampton International ...

305 Pages·2017·19.79 MB·English

Planning Statement
Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation
1: Northampton International Academy, Barrack Road, Northampton, NN1 1AA
2: Castle Academy, St George’s Street, Northampton, NN1 2TR

CC Town Planning on behalf of Northamptonshire County Council
March 2017
CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 SITE & SURROUNDINGS 2
3 PLANNING HISTORY 3
4 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 6
4 REVIEW OF PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK 10
6 PLANNING ASSESSMENT 16
7 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 23
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 CC Town Planning have been appointed by Northamptonshire County Council (the “Applicant”) to
prepare a Planning Statement in support of a detailed planning application for temporary teaching
accommodation at Northampton International Academy (“NIA”), located on Barrack Road,
Northampton and the adjoining Castle Academy, located on St George’s Street, Northampton (the
“Site”).
1.2 Planning permission (ref: 14/00039/CCDFUL) was granted on 29th October 2014 to convert the Former
Royal Mail Depot at 55 Barrack Road into the NIA and construction work is well progressed. NIA is a
through-school for pupils aged 4-19 years and when fully occupied will provide education for 420
primary school pupils (2 form entry) 1500 secondary school pupils and 300 6th from pupils. NIA opened
in September 2016 with the first intake of pupils currently being taught in temporary buildings within
the site. NIA is run by the EMLC Academy Trust.
1.3 However due to unforeseen technical issues arising from what is a large and complex building
conversion, there is a delay in the construction programme which will delay the opening of the main
NIA building from September 2017 to September 2018. As a consequence of this delay, the Applicant
is required to provide further temporary teaching accommodation on the NIA site and on the adjacent
Castle Academy to house the 2017 pupil intake of NIA, as well as existing NIA pupils.
1.4 A detailed description of the development is set out in Section 4 below.
1.5 The application is submitted to Northamptonshire County Council (the “LPA”) as the determining
Planning Authority for the area.
1.6 This Planning Statement provides a justification for the proposed development in light of prevailing
national and local planning policy. The following supporting documents have been submitted with the
application:
Drawings
 NIA-001 (F) Location Plan

 NIA-011 (D) Existing Block Plan

 NIA-012 (D) Proposed Site Plan

 NIA-151 (E) Proposed Site Plan

 NIA-261 (E) Proposed Plans – Ground Floor 01

 NIA-263 (E) Proposed Plans – First and Second Floor

 NIA-606 (B) Proposed Elevations (Rendered)

1
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

 NIA-607 (A) Proposed CGI Schedule of Areas

 NIA- 601E Proposed Elevations 01

 NIA- 602E Proposed Elevations 01

Reports
 Planning Statement prepared by CC Town Planning

 Statement of Community Involvement prepared by CC Town Planning

 Design and Access Statement prepared by Architecture Initiative

 Arboricultural Report prepared by Lockhart Garratt

 Extended Phase 1 Ecological Report prepared by Lockhart Garratt

 Transport Statement prepared by SYSTRA

 Pupil Arrival/Departure Outline Management Plan prepared by NIA

 School Travel Plan prepared by NIA

 Requisite application form, ownership certificates and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
forms

 Geo Environmental Site Investigation prepared by Soil Technics

 Noise Impact Assessment

 Odour Assessment

 Drainage Assessment prepared by Mace

 External Lighting Scheme prepared by Mott MacDonald

 Construction Management Plan (prepared by Vinci Construction)

2 SITE & SURROUNDINGS
2.1 This section of the statement provides an overview and analysis of the site including relevant recent
planning history and its relationship with the surrounding area.
2.2 The application site is located within the Semilong area on the northern edge of Northampton Town
Centre. The site measures 0.8 hectares in area and includes an area of land located to the rear (west)
of the main Northampton International Academy (“NIA”) building (formerly the Royal Mail Sorting
2
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

Office) which is currently in use as the temporary NIA site, part of the Northampton Bangladeshi
Association (“NBA”) Gateway Centre and Castle Academy. The site is bordered to the north by
Semilong Road and an established largely residential area. Residential blocks including Semilong
House, Adelaide House, Mill House and Allister Gardens are located to the north of the site and vary
in height from 2 to 7 storeys.
2.3 Access to the site for both pedestrians and vehicles is via the NBA Gateway Centre site located on
Mill Road. This access is currently used to serve the first years intake (Year 7) of NIA who are currently
taught in temporary classrooms within the site.
2.4 The site largely comprises of hardstanding in addition to the existing NIA temporary classrooms and
staff car parking, as well as part of the grounds of Castle Academy, where proposed temporary
teaching accommodation and a catering pod will be located. Castle Academy is a 2 form entry primary
school located adjacent to NIA and accessed separately off St Georges Street.
2.5 The Barack Road Conservation Area is located to the north east of the site. The Gibraltar Barracks
(an army cadet barracks) and Gibraltar Court (residential flats) are located to the south.
2.6 An extract from the submitted site location plan is set out in Figure 1 below. The NIA elements of the
site (as approved under 14/00039/CCDFUL) are in the ownership of the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government. Northamptonshire Country Council own the NBA Gateway
Centre where access is gained and also Castle Academy.

Figure 1 – Site Location Plan

3 PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 A summary of the relevant planning history is detailed within the tables below.
3
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

Northampton International Academy
N/2010/0979 Demolition of former Royal Mail Transport Withdrawn 06/06/2011
Workshop and Change of Use of the former Royal
Mail Sorting Office with associated alterations
including a new atrium, car park deck and service
ramp and yard to provide a foodstore/café at first
floor level, with parking at basement and lower
ground levels with associated landscaping works
N/2011/0998 Demolition of former Royal Mail Transport Approved 12/11/2012
Workshop and Change of Use of the former Royal
Mail Sorting Office with associated alterations
including a new atrium, car park deck and service
ramp and yard to provide a foodstore (5,218 sq
metres net sales area) /café at first floor level, with
parking at basement and lower ground levels with
associated landscaping works
14/00039/CCDFUL Proposed conversion and extension of existing Approved 29/10/2014
former Royal Mail sorting office building to provide
NBC Ref:
a 420 place primary school, 1500 place
N/2014/0757
secondary school with 300 place 6th form, as
well as a private nursery, cafe, gym and 7
residential units. Demolition of an existing metal
transport shed at the west of the site, canopy and
brick wall to loading bay, rear stair core and
general site clearance surrounding the existing
building. Other external works include
alterations to external elevations, infilling of
internal roof courtyard, provision of new hard and
soft landscaping at the front, side and rear of the
building, creation of new pedestrian and cycle
access, construction of a new single storey
external deck to provide additional car parking
and play/teaching space, provision of
replacement boundary treatment (in part within
a Conservation Area) and of outdoor
recreational space including new floodlit
MUGAs at the Former Royal Mail Sorting Office,
4
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

55 Barrack Road, Northampton,
Northamptonshire, NN1 1AA
15/00099/CCDFUL Installation of three single storey temporary Approved 15/08/2016
modular buildings to provide 12 classrooms and
NBC Ref:
support accommodation for upto 360 pupils, and
N/2016/0242
associated temporary external works at the
Former Royal Mail Sorting Office, 55 Barrack
Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1AA

3.2 Following the closure of the Royal Mail Sorting Office after a fire in 2003 the site has been largely
vacant. Planning permission was granted in 2012 to convert the building into a retail foodstore but the
consent was not implemented.
3.3 Permission was granted under 14/00039/CCDFUL to covert the building into the Northampton
International Academy and the construction process is at an advanced stage with the main school
building scheduled to open in September 2018.
3.4 Planning permission was granted for the installation of temporary classroom accommodation on the
site in 2016 (ref: 14/00039/CCDFUL) to house upto 360 pupils in advance of the main building opening.
This permission has been implanted although the number of pupils is lower at 189.
3.5 The current application to which this statement relates seeks to increase the temporary
accommodation approved under 14/00039/CCDFUL to accommodate additional pupils until the main
building opens in September 2018. The proposed accommodation is required to be in place for the
start of the school year in September 2017.
3.6 It is also material to note recent planning history at Castle Academy which is summarised in the table
below:
Castle Academy
11/00061/CCD Erection of teaching block to provide an Approved 11/11/2011
additional four classrooms and nursery with
NBC Ref:
associated support accommodation and
N/2011/0861
covered play area at Castle Primary School,
St George’s Street, Northampton NN1 2TR
12/00051/CCDFUL Installation of double mobile classroom at Approved 23/08/2012
Castle Primary School, St Georges Street,
NBC Ref:
Northampton
N/2012/0749

3.7 Consent was granted under 12/00051/CCDFUL for a mobile classroom at Castle Academy.
5
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

4 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
4.1 This application seeks full planning permission to install temporary classrooms on the sites of both
Northampton International Academy (“NIA”) and the adjacent Castle Academy for use until the main
NIA building is opened in September 2018.
4.2 The development description as set out in the submitted forms is:
Installation of 1 No. 3 storey temporary modular building and 5 No. 1 storey temporary modular
buildings to provide classrooms, support accommodation and catering facility for
Northampton International Academy and Castle Academy. Associated external works to
parking and play areas and off site works to facilitate pupil pick up and drop off at Mill Road.
4.3 On the NIA temporary site a three storey temporary building (Cabin A) is proposed. This will provide
teaching accommodation for upto 400 pupils (NIA Year 7 and Year 8) in addition to staff, office,
meeting and ancillary rooms etc. The building will have a gross internal area of 1,896 square metres.
4.4 Cabin A is a modular building measuring approximately 20 metres by 40 metres, with a height of
approximately 10 metres.
4.5 Cabin A, as detailed within the extract from the Design and Access Statement below, will be sited on
what will eventually become play space and a social area, in addition to the NIA primary MUGA.
During the interim period the areas to the north and south will be laid out as hard surfaced games and
play space.

Figure 2 – Proposed Site Layout
6
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

4.6 Cabin’s B and C (approximate dimensions of 14m x 8m with a height of 3.8 m) are currently located
within the NIA site and used to provide temporary teaching accommodation for existing NIA Year 7
pupils as approved under 15/00099/CCDFUL. These buildings will be refurbished with Cabin B used
as a music/drama block and Cabin C as a changing block.
4.7 The 2016 consent for temporary buildings (15/00099/CCDFUL) provided accommodation for upto 360
NIA pupils (300 Year 7 and 60 Reception). The current proposal will provide accommodation for upto
400 no. Year 7 and Year 8 pupils within the NIA temporary site, with upto 95 NIA primary pupils taught
within the Castle Academy Site. This is summarised in Table 1 below.
Year September 2016 September
2017
NIA Reception 35 60
NIA Year 1 0 35
NIA Year 7 154 246
NIA Year 8 0 154
Total 189 495

Table 1 – Current and Proposed NIA Pupil Numbers

4.8 A total of 21 parking spaces (including 2 disabled bays) will be available for staff of NIA, accessed via
Mill Road through the NBA car park. It is envisaged that upto 24 members of staff (teaching plus
admin staff) will be employed at the NIA temporary site.
4.9 30 cycle parking spaces are provided within the temporary site. Some minor off site highway works
are proposed at the end of Mill Road to facilitate the pick up and drop off process during the interim
period. These measures are explained within the accompanying Transport Statement.
4.10 The tables below provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed accommodation included within
Cabins A, B and C.
4.11 On the Castle Academy Site, the first intake of NIA reception pupils are currently taught in a temporary
building located towards the east of the parking area (as approved under 15/00099/CCDFUL). It is
proposed that these pupils (who will move up to NIA Year 1 in September 2017, in addition to the new
intake of NIA reception pupils) will be taught within the main Castle Academy building until the main
NIA building is opened in September 2018. This will be upto 95 pupils (NIA Reception and NIA Year
1).
7
Northampton International Academy Proposed Temporary Teaching Accommodation

4.12 As a consequence of this, Castle Academy pupils (Years 5 and 6) will be relocated into two temporary
cabins (Cabins D and E, creating a total of 4 classrooms) which will be located to the south of the
existing sports pitch and adjacent to the main building. Adjacent to this a catering pod is proposed
(Cabin F). This will be used to cater for pupils of both Castle Academy and NIA on a temporary basis.

Table 2 – Cabins A, B & C Floorspace Schedule

4.13 NIA Primary staff will have access to the Castle Academy car park which will have an increased
capacity following the removal of an existing temporary building.
4.14 The result of the above means that the number of additional pupils taught within the Castle Academy
site during the interim period will increase by upto 60 from 455 (i.e. 420 Castle Primary and 35 NIA
Primary) to 515 (i.e. the September 2017 intake of 60 NIA reception pupils.)
8