Agenda item

No objection to the outline application.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services recommended that, subject to the requirements detailed in the report now submitted, no objection be raised to outline application 3/14/2037/CC.

Councillor T Page summarised a number of points on behalf of Councillor G Jones who was the local ward Member.  A key point was that the application for this secondary school was long overdue and the school was critical to the sustainability of Bishop’s Stortford North.  Councillor G Jones had referred to the access to the site being from Hadham Road rather than the A120 as well as the use of Green Belt land for playing fields.

Councillor Page referred to another key point from Councillor G Jones regarding the access to the western neighbourhood causing congestion on Hadham Road.  Councillor G Jones was of the view that, in order to prevent unacceptable congestion for Hadham Road and the boulevard for the western neighbourhood, the proposed additional roundabout from the A120 must be in position before the school was opened, which in turn should not be later than 2017.

Councillor G Jones had also stated that the use of green belt land for playing fields was unacceptable given that there would need to be substantial earthworks to level the site as well as permanent road access, external lighting changing facilities and an all-weather surface to the north of the bypass, particularly if there was to be a community use.

Councillor G Jones had concluded that the site was insufficient for a school as playing field provision was not possible without unacceptable harm to the green belt.  He urged Members to object to this application due to the inappropriate development of the green belt and the unacceptable delay to the roundabout off the A120.

Councillor T Page stated that he shared the concerns of Councillor G Jones regarding traffic and he commented that the County Council should be pressed to get the roundabout off the A120 in place urgently.  He stated that he was concerned regarding pupils from further afield using the proposed estate road off Hadham Road to access the proposed school.

The Director stated that Officers could not be sure how much residential development would be delivered before the school opened and it was therefore not known when the new roundabout would be installed on the A120 in relation to the opening date of the school.  In order to provide an element of control Officers had advised that there should be no more than 3 forms of entry (3FE) at the proposed school before the new roundabout was installed.

Members were advised that further highways modelling work was being undertaken by the applicant to enable the County Council to understand the impact of the proposed school along with the impact of the Bishop’s Stortford North development proposals.

The Director stated that it would be appropriate that educational need generated by the new residential development at Bishop’s Stortford North would be accommodated by the proposed school meaning that a significant number of the journeys to the school would be from within the development site.

Councillor T Page disagreed with Councillor G Jones in that, whilst he cherished the green belt and would not want to see it given up lightly, Bishop’s Stortford was exceedingly short of sporting facilities, particularly pitches. 

Councillor Page stated that provided that the land remained open for public use and the access was safe, the green belt should be used and enjoyed as playing fields for the good of the schools and the community of Bishop’s Stortford.

Members were advised that they had heard both sides of the case regarding the implementation of playing field uses in the green belt and although playing fields were not appropriate in the green belt in NPPF terms, the NPPF encouraged the use and enjoyment and leisure use of the green belt and Officers felt able to support this element of the proposals as the benefits far outweighed the harm.  Councillor G Williamson expressed concerns that the use of the green belt beyond the A120 could be seen as the creep of the Bishop’s Stortford North development boundary beyond the confines of the Areas of Special Restraint (ASRs).

Councillor N Symonds sought clarification regarding the expected opening date of the school given that the Section 106 agreement had not been signed.  She commented on where disabled parents would park should they wish to watch their children play sport if they were unable to negotiate the proposed footbridge.  The Director stated that the footbridge would have to be fully compliant with disability legislation to ensure access for everyone seeking to take advantage of the new sports facilities.

The Director reminded Members that they were not being asked to determine a planning application but to assist Officers in submitting the views of the Authority to Hertfordshire County Council as the Authority responsible for determining this application.  Members were advised that there was a very tight timescale in that the intention was that this school would open in time for the 2017/18 school year.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the Committee accepted the recommendation of the Director of Neighbourhood Services as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that subject to the requirements detailed in the report now submitted, no objection be raised to outline application 3/14/2037/CC.