Urgent Update: Items                                                                                   Item 23 Page 224

JUBILEE SCHOOL, FANT LANE, MAIDSTONE, KENT

16/500320 & 16/500322

Additional Representation

11 additional letters of objection have been received from local residents which raised the following issues;

·         Site not big enough for a two form entry school

·         Highway safety, parking and traffic issues

·         Hermitage lane and new other schools provide necessary capacity

·         Overcrowding in school and school cannot accommodate proposed level of pupils

·         Conditions not met for last permission

·         Noise from waste collections

·         Play space under provision

·         Recent appeal advises against new development in area

·         Use of playing fields is inappropriate

Further information has been provided by KCC Education on other schools and needs

In response to the suggestion that new schools will take the additional capacity, the following response has been received from KCC Education along with the attached briefing note attached to this UUU which sets out the situation further to that set out in the committee report.

The School Commissioning Plan identified the need for a 2FE school at Jubilee,  a 2FE in Maidstone North (KLIMS site) and by 2019-21 period a 2FE at Hermitage Lane. This extra capacity was all needed before we faced the unexpected migration from London as detailed in the attached note. This has added to the pressure and this position has been exacerbated by the decision to restrict Jubilee to 1FE and thus we have all the schools over PAN as described in the note. 

The  EFSA confirmed only 10 days ago that they cannot see the Maidstone North school available until 2019 (subject to MBC Planning with an application not likely  until the end of this year  at the earliest)  it is imperative that Jubilee becomes the 2FE school that was always intended.  

Thus the schools referred to are at an early stage, not within the same planning area and there is an existing deficit and which will remain outstanding if Jubilee School remains a 1FE and a need exists as set out in the committee report

Further information from the applicant regarding use of playing fields

The applicant has stated the following in respect of the agreement with Bower Place School and the proposed use of the adjacent sports pitches;

The school proposed to use the pitches on the recreation ground three times per week for sporting activities and P.E lessons when it is at full capacity. The rental of these pitches has been factored into the budget.

The school have an agreement with the previous head teacher Trevor Phipps at Bower Grove and it still stands. The arrangement is that the school is able to prior book to use their fields and indoor sports hall. To date this has not been used on a regular basis as there has not been the need.

In regards to PE, all year groups undertake P.E and this is twice weekly for each class, this is outside on most occasions but when the weather does not allow for this we use our existing hall area. The majority of PE activities will take place on site either in the schools external play area or the internal hall.

Officer response to the comments

These issues are covered within the committee report and the responses from KCC and the applicant provide more clarity over the issue of need and the use of/access to the adjacent playing fields. On the issue of outdoor playspace, MBC Parks and Leisure it would be possible to book block sports pitches at the adjacent playing fields as it would be with any other user

Change to condition 8 (p.240)

The applicant has highlighted timing of landscaping in relation to the school term and so condition 8 which should read instead as follows;

The approved landscaping scheme shall be carried out in the first available planting season following first occupation of the extension.  Any seeding or turfing which fails to establish or any trees or plants which, within five years from the first occupation of the extension, die or become so seriously damaged or diseased that their long term amenity value has been adversely affected shall be replaced in the next planting season with plants of the same species and size as detailed in the approved landscape scheme unless the local planning authority gives written consent to any variation.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity.

Recommendation

The recommendation remains unchanged as a result of the additional comments from residents