Woodlands School Refurb Gets Green Light Despite Concerns

Councillors have unanimously backed a refurbishment plan for Woodlands School in Scarborough.

It happened at a planning meeting on Thursday where councillors agreed to plans for – the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of a new two-storey school building.

This will include solar panels on a flat roof, with car parking, landscaping, a hard games court, playing field, sprinkler tank, bin store and substation.

Woodlands Academy is a special education school located on Woodlands Drive in Scarborough. The school caters for children aged two to 16 years old. 

The funding for the works is coming from the Department for Education and School Rebuilding Programme, which carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects for schools and sixth form colleges.

Planning officer Nathan Denham said:

"Such buildings are selected and prioritised based on their condition.  One was selected during the second round of funding for this programme.

"The site is located on the western periphery of Scarborough, approximately two kilometres west of the town centre.  It's located in the development limits and the immediate surrounding area is mixed use. There's residential properties to the immediate east of the site, and on the south side of Woodlands Drive. Scarborough Hospital is to the immediate north, which is separated by the emergency vehicle slip road. 

There's currently one access into the site from Woodlands Drive to the south.

"Second phase would be demolition works and the last phase would be the removal of the temporary access road and the re establishment of landscape within the site. 

"The local highways authority have assessed the plans and associated documents and not raised any objections to the proposed development.  In the opinion of your officers, there's no undue impacts on neighbouring properties.  In terms of flood risk, the lead local flood authority being consulted in the risk of flooding is not considered to be greater than the existing arrangement. 

"No objection has been raised by the lead local flood authority, and no statutory or non statutory consultees have been objected to the proposed development.  In general, therefore, the development is considered to comply with relevant local and national planning policies, and it is, therefore, your office's recommendation to grant permission subject to this condition."

Planning agent Anne Burke Hargreaves added:

"I would like to emphasise the key elements and benefits of the scheme proposals.  The redevelopment of the Woodlands Academy is funded by the Department for Education as part of their school rebuilding program. The purpose of this funding program is to improve the condition of existing school buildings. 

"The proposed materials for the new school building have been chosen for their robustness, and the school entrance has feature cladding, vertical glazing, and school signage to create civic presence and to assist with wayfinding.  The new playing field that will be created is a significant betterment on the existing playing field, to the east of the site which is on a slope and is in poor condition. 

"The replacement hardcourt will also improve on the existing, with pitch markings for multiple sports and a ball stop fence, and it will no longer be used for drop off and pick up.  The new school building will include a small sports hall, where there is no sports hall currently.  There's currently no community use of the school, but they would like to encourage the local community to use the new external sports facilities. 

"54 trees will be planted, alongside native and ornamental hedge planting and native whip planting, while flower meadow planting and ornamental shrub planting.  As you've heard, the biodiversity net gain calculation demonstrates there'll be a net gain exceeding the 10 percent requirement, and it'll actually achieve 23%. 

"In terms of access, the existing access will be widened to enable vehicles to enter and exit the site without overrunning the grass verge. And there'll be a new, secure, dedicated pupil dropper from Pickup Zone, so pupil movement can be easily managed and controlled. This will create a safe and functional system for the school's pupils when they arrive and leave the school site, and help to ease congestion on Woodlands Drive.

"And as you've heard, car parking will be significantly increased, and there'll be a doubling of accessible spaces.  Two of the staff parking bays will be fitted with electric vehicle charging points, and a further 10 spaces will be future proof for electric vehicle charging. There'll be 10 staff and pupil cycle spaces provided in a shelter, and an additional four cycle visitor spaces.

"The scheme is also being designed to be net zero carbon in operation. A key part of that strategy is the panels on the roof. The roof will also be a green roof, which provides both biodiversity and drainage benefits.  The design of the building will exceed building regulations.

"There'll be good daylight achieved through balanced use of blazing to avoid excessive heat gain or losses.  There's high energy efficiency LED lighting coupled with occupancy and daylight controls, which will significantly reduce daylighting  energy use.  There's heating on hot water, which will be from electrical solutions, eliminating the requirement for the use of fossil fuels.

And there'll be water efficient fixtures and fittings, which will be specified to reduce water consumption."

There were some concerns raised from the committee including congestion at the end of the day school day, with extra parking provided potentially meaning more cars. One suggestion was that the heads of Woodlands and Graham Schools discuss staggering leaving times. 

Councillor Roberta Swiers was positive in her response to the plans, she said:

"I'm going to more or less endorse what's been said. It's in need, obviously, and that's been realised.

It is an old building. This will be far better economically to run and it will look great. This is massive for Scarborough and it's well overdue.

I think it's a very good application."

Councillor Janet Jefferson concluded:

"I think it's a well put together plan. 

"My only trepidation is, having sat through a task group for the provision of SEND in this area, I'm slightly disappointed in the Department of Education funding, bearing in mind that I sit on new people's services, that we aren't increasing the number of pupils that can attain when we've got the chance with the money.

"I know we can't do anything about it now, but we sat in this chamber last October and listened to lots of people who were desperate for spaces for their children. So that's my concern. Well, you know,  and I should imagine you'd be concerned when it goes live. But I'm not against the plan. I think it's, it's wonderful that we support it.

"The other thing I have trepidation about for the people living in and around it, but I'm sure it will be controlled, is the use of the recreation facilities out of school hours. Especially because I have Gladstone Road School in my division and although it isn't officially open to the school, people get in it, but you're not going to let people go in it, so I'm just concerned about the control of that. 

"I think it's good that we've got community facilities, I just hope that it's going to be used in an organised way. by groups like scouts, clubs and things like this. And that that's my only concern, that we can regulate that in some way, because it's surprising how many people find out about these amenities andnd it could change antisocial behaviour in that area. That's the only thing I'm thinking, you know, but I support the scheme."