Proposed secondary schoolAll Saints meeting

14 March 2015

Objectives of meeting

Information provision and understanding

• The need for a 4th secondary school in the Greater Harpenden school catchment area

• The process that has been followed to date• The current situation• How planning works at St Albans and District Council• Your concerns and issues (on survey forms)

Approach to meeting

• Brief presentations to ensure everyone has most recent information• Question and answer session

• All questions through the Chair• Three questions at a time• Not a debate

• Panel consisting of:• Presenters• Other Councillors experienced in planning (Mike Wakely, Rosemary Farmer)

Agenda

• The need for a 4th school Maxine Crawley 9.30 - 9.40

• The process to date/next steps David Williams 9.40 - 10.00

• SADC Planning process Julian Daly 10.00 - 10.20

• Questions PANEL 10.20 – 11.00

The need for a 4th school

Maxine Crawley

Harpenden Secondary Planning Area

Parish/Area Permanent Temporary

Reception Places

Forms of Entry

Reception Places

Forms of Entry

Harpenden 105 3.5 210 7

Wheathampstead 21 0.7 30 1

Redbourn 0 0 30 1

Hemel Rural North 15 0.5 27 0.9

Total 141 4.7 297 9.9

Primary schools across planning area already meeting increased demand

Primary places expansion from 2010/2011

Harpenden Secondary Planning Area Year 7 Demand2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

2018-2019

2019-2020

2020-2021

2021-2022

2022-2023

2023-2024

2024-2025

Year 7 Places 572 572 572 572 572 572 572 572 572 572

Demand 656 647 691 740 819 795 832 827 748 731

Shortfall 84 75 119 168 247 223 260 255 176 159

Forms ofEntry 2.8 2.5 4.0 5.6 8.2 7.4 8.7 8.5 5.9 5.3

By 2019 intake (current Year 2 pupils) 247 place shortfall

Harpenden Secondary Planning Area Forecast

Parish/Area NRAs

Harpenden 26

Wheathampstead 14

Redbourn 3

Harpenden Rural 1

The Waldens 22

Hemel Rural North 22

Total 88

Children not securing any of their four secondary school preferences

Non Ranked Allocations 2015/16

The process

David Williams

• St Albans Local Plan

• Site allocation sought

• 2010/2011 spatial planning analysis

• Sites A, F and G shortlisted

• Site F Preferred

Meeting Secondary Demand 2010 - 2013

• “Very Special Circumstances” Green Belt planning application

• Detailed technical analysis• 2025 traffic model• Planning policy compliance

assessment (NPPF, SADC)• Land acquisition

(deliverability) and viability (cost) assessments

Meeting Secondary Demand 2014 - 2015

Potential Secondary School Sites

Detailed Information

More detailed information

Independent Consultants’ Conclusions• Sites A, D and F capable of securing Green Belt planning consent• Planning policy compliance assessment: Site A ranked 1st• Land acquisition (deliverability) assessment: Site F ranked 1st• Viability (cost) assessment: Site F ranked 1st• On balance, at the present time and in consideration of the

supporting evidence, Site F is identified as the independent consultant’s preferred site

• Comparative analysis to Education Funding Agency

• EFA’s determination of Trust’s application

• EFA decision re which site route to follow

• Planning application and consultation

• Design issues, mitigations, undertakings and planning

conditions

✔

✔

Potential next steps

SADC Planning Process

Julian Daly

The Process

• Receipt and registration of the planning application• Consultation/notification and publicity (can include site and press notices, writing

to neighbours and the Town Council)• Planning Officer consideration:

• policy• results of consultation and notification• site visit(s)• discussion/negotiation• report with an officer recommendation

• Committee Decision • SADC Decision – Referrals Committee• HCC Decision -Development Control Committee

SADC Plans Referrals Committee

• 8 members• Committee reflects Council political balance• 1 Harpenden Councillor (currently)• Councillors – very experienced and impartial

• Every application must be seen to be decided on its own merits, in the light of all the material considerations. That’s because all proposals are different – the physical characteristics of the site, the planning history, the precise form and scale of the proposal, etc.

• The local planning authority may:• Grant planning permission unconditionally• Grant permission subject to such conditions as they think fit• Refuse planning permission”

• Decision “shall have regard to the provisions of the development plan, so far as material to the application, and to any other material considerations”

The starting points

The legal bits

• Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

• When the development plan is absent, silent, or relevant policies are out of date, planning permission should be granted, unless:

• Any adverse effects of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework taken as a whole

• Specific polices in the Framework indicate development should be restricted

What is the Development Plan

• The St Albans District Local Plan 1994

• Hertfordshire Waste Core Strategy and Development Management

Policies 2012

• Waste Site Allocations Document 2014

• Hertfordshire Minerals Plan 2007

What are the ‘Other Material Considerations’?• Policy

• National Planning Policy Framework• National Planning Policy Guidance• Supplementary Design Guidance ie Parking Standards

• Duties under Other Acts• Wildlife Protection

• Views of other consultees• Factors on the Ground

Some factors “on the ground”Material

• Design and visual impact• Privacy/daylight/sunlight• Noise, smell, pollution • Access/traffic• Health/ health and safety• Ecology, landscape• Crime (and fear of)• Economic impact• Planning history / related decisions• Cumulative impact • Need for new school places

Not Material

• The applicant / land ownership• Private rights (e.g. access)• Restrictive covenants• Property value• Competition• Loss of view• “Moral” issues• Numbers of reps• Usually, that a “better” site might exist

for the proposal, or that a “better” use exists for the site

Hints and Tips when responding to a Planning ConsultationDo• Make your comments in writing • Make your points based on planning

policy and other material considerations

• Explain your view giving any evidence

• Remember everyone can see your comments

• Send a copy to your local district and county councillors

Don’t• Make your comments before a

planning application is registered• Just sign a petition or pro-forma

letter – these are often given less weight in the planning system

• Forget to give your name and address

Role of Councillors

• Decision on Planning Application is made by elected Councillors • Councillors must take account of often competing views on a planning

application, they should not favour any person, company, group or locality, nor put themselves in a position where they may appear to be doing so

• Planning decisions should be open, impartial, with sound judgement and for justifiable reasons

• The process should leave no grounds for suggesting that those participating in the decision were biased or that the decision itself was unlawful, irrational or procedurally improper

Role of councillors (continued)

• A councillor may be predisposed on a matter before it comes to Committee, provided they remain open to listening to all the arguments and changing their mind in light of all the information presented at the meeting.

• Nevertheless, a councillor in this position will always be judged against an objective test of whether the reasonable onlooker, with knowledge of the relevant facts, would consider that the councillor was biased.

What happens if the Planning Application is refused?• The applicants have a right of appeal (within 6 months of the

decision) to the Planning Inspectorate who will appoint a an Independent Inspector to review the decision

Planning documents available

Your questions

Next steps

• Feedback info from this meeting

• Wait for decisions by EFA/Herts County Council

• Arrange update meetings

• Planning process