Agenda item

PLANNING APPLICATION NO.12/0584/01 - Land between Ringswell Avenue and Ribston Avenue, Exeter

To consider the report of the Assistant Director City Development.

 

(Report circulated)

 

Minutes:

Councillor Denham declared a personal and prejudicial interest as an employee of the Deaf Academy and left the meeting during consideration of the item.

 

The Senior Area Planning Officer presented the outline application for the demolition of the former school buildings, erection of an Academy for Deaf Education with associated residential accommodation, open space, car parking and landscaping at land between Ringswell Avenue and Ribston Avenue, Exeter.

 

Members were advised that, following negotiations, the scale and massing of the proposed buildings were considered to be acceptable.

 

Members were circulated with an update sheet giving details of two additional letters of objection; comments from the County Director Environment, Economy and Culture and additional conditions.

 

The recommendation was for approval subject to the conditions as set out in the report and the additional conditions on the circulated update sheet.

 

Mr Farnhill (Chief Executive Academy for Deaf Education) spoke in support of the application. He raised the following points:-

  • this was an outline application
  • there had been a school for Deaf Education in the city since 1826
  • was the only residential school for the Deaf in the South West
  • had 120 pupils ranging from four to twenty four
  • was more than just a school providing learning and training and inclusion working alongside pupils at Exeter College
  • provided sign language courses for the community
  • 200 employees
  • would bring £5 million into the local economy through local authority fees
  • the existing site was showing signs of age and had limited disabled access
  • would cost £25 million to build and had generated interest from various organisations across the world
  • would like the residential accommodation to feel like home
  • wanted pupils to know they were special and that people care.

 

In answer to Members’ questions, Mr Farnhill clarified that it was the intention to have as much grass area as possible and to bring grass back on to the site; the community would benefit from the facilities with sign language courses and hearing dog training; about 70 of the children would be non-residential, the timetable would be different to that of the adjacent school starting and finishing at lunch times on Monday and Friday and working later in the week to make up the hours; it was intended to be an inspirational building.

 

RESOLVED that planning permission for the demolition of former school buildings, erection of Academy for Deaf Education with associated residential accommodation, open space, car parking and landscaping be approved subject to the following conditions:-

 

1)

C01  -  Standard Outline

 

2)

C04  -  Outline - Exclude Details

 

3)

C07  -  Time Limit - Outline

 

4)

C15  -  Compliance with Drawings

 

5)

C17  -  Submission of Materials

 

6)

C34  -  Landscape Scheme - Outline

 

7)

C36  -  No Trees to be Felled

 

8)

C37  -  Replacement Planting

 

9)

C38  -  Trees - Temporary Fencing

 

10)

C70  -  Contaminated Land

 

11)

No development shall take place until a Wildlife Plan has been produced by the applicant and approved by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To demonstrate how the proposed development will be managed in perpetuity to enhance wildlife.

 

12)

Before the commencement of development, a Construction Environmental Management Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The Construction Environmental Management Plan shall identify the steps and procedures that will be implemented to minimise the creation and impact of noise, vibration, dust and waste disposal resulting from the site preparation, groundwork and construction phases of the development and manage Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) access to the site. It shall include details of measures to be employed to prevent the egress of mud, water and other detritus onto the public highway. It shall include for the provision of a dilapidation survey of the highways adjoining the site. Once approved, the Construction Environmental Management Plan shall be adhered to at all times, unless otherwise first agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of minimising the impact of construction works.

 

13)

Details of all building services plant, including sound power levels and predicted sound pressure levels at a specified location outside the building envelope, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA. The predicted noise levels shall be submitted prior to commencement of the development and shall be demonstrated by measurement prior to occupation of the development.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

 

14)

Prior to occupation of the development hereby permitted, secure cycle parking, lockers, showers and changing facilities accessible to all occupants of the premises shall be provided in accordance with details previously submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and the cycle parking and other facilities shall be maintained thereafter.
Reason: To ensure that cycle parking and other facilities are provided, to encourage travel by sustainable means in accordance with Local Plan policy T3.

 

15)

Prior to occupation of the development, access to Ringswell Avenue for pedestrians and cyclists shall be provided in accordance with details previously submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and maintained at all times thereafter.
Reason: To encourage travel by sustainable means in accordance with Local Plan policy T3.

 

16)

Any individual building to be developed pursuant to this planning permission shall achieve a BREEAM ‘very good’ standard as a minimum, increasing to ‘excellent’ for buildings for which application for approval of reserved matters is made on or after 31st January 2013, and shall achieve ‘zero carbon’ for buildings commenced on or after 1st January 2019. Prior to the commencement of construction the developer shall submit to the Local Planning Authority a BREEAM design stage assessment report to be prepared by a licensed BREEAM assessor confirming the score expected to be achieved and the BREEAM rating to which this corresponds. Where the score does not meet the minimum standard the developer must provide details of what changes will be made to the development to achieve the minimum standard, and shall thereafter implement those changes. A post completion BREEAM report shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority within 6 months of the substantial completion of the development hereby approved.

Reason: In the interests of sustainable development.

 

17)

Construction and demolition hours

 

18)

Kitchen extraction details

 

19)         Within six months of the commencement of use of the proposed Academy a Sustainable Travel Plan shall be implemented in accordance with details that shall previously have been submitted to, agreed and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority.

Reason:  To secure the provision and implementation of a Sustainable Travel Plan.

 

20)      No part of the development hereby approved shall be brought into its intended    use until:-

            (a) the car and secure/casual cycle parking facilities, together with lockers, showers and changing facilities; and

            (b) the main and emergency access facilities for vehicles, and additional access to and from Ringswell Avenue on foot and by cycle have been provided in accordance with details that shall previously have been submitted to, agreed and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and retained for those purposes at all times.

            Reason:  To ensure that adequate facilities are available for the traffic attracted to the site, and to encourage travel by sustainable means. 

 

21)       The Academy building hereby permitted shall have a height not exceeding 52.20m AOD and a maximum footprint of 3550 sqm.  The Residential Care building hereby permitted shall have a height not exceeding 51.20m AOD and a maximum footprint of 1300 sqm. 

       Reason: To ensure that the size and scale of the buildings is appropriate to the site, the character of the area and local amenity.

 

(Report circulated)

 

Supporting documents: