HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Agenda Item No.
CABINET
MONDAY 20 MARCH 2006 AT 2.00 P.M.
3
WATTON –AT- STONE, LAND AT SCHOOL LANE AND PROPOSED
ACCOMMODATION AT WATTON- AT- STONE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Report of the Corporate Director (People and Property)
Author: Ken McMaster, Senior Estates Officer, Hertfordshire Property
Tel: 01992 588126
Executive Members:- David Beatty, Robert Gordon
Local Members: - Bryan Hammond
1.
Purpose of report
To consider the disposal of land at Watton- at -Stone and investment
from the capital receipt to support additional accommodation at Wattonat -Stone Primary School.
2.
Summary
2.1
The County Council owns land at School Lane Watton-at-Stone that is
currently occupied by a single storey ‘HORSA’ building. The building is
no longer capable of its current use as accommodation for the village
pre-school.
2.2
Watton-at-Stone Primary School operates a Reception year within its
main school building and has a 30 place nursery class in a mobile
building. With the provision of a small extension, internal alterations
and an extension of the covered out door play area the school would
have sufficient capacity to accommodate the nursery class within the
school building thereby enabling the pre-school to occupy the vacated
mobile.
2.3
The extension and associated works would cost in the region of £246K.
Children, Schools and Families (CSF) has confirmed that they are able
to contribute £80K out of the pre-school conversion grant; the school
are prepared to contribute £41K from their Devolved Formula Capital
allocation. The value of the School Lane site for residential
development has been estimated at £125k. If this is allocated to the
extension project at the Watton at Stone school, the project would be
funded against its estimated cost.
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3.
Conclusion
To enable the provision of accommodation for the pre-school at
Watton-at-Stone Primary School, Cabinet is asked to consider:(a)
the disposal of the land at School Lane Watton-at-Stone
(b)
the allocation of £125k from the capital receipt to facilitate the
extension and associated works on the Watton-at Stone School
site to enable the relocation of the pre-school within the existing
nursery mobile and the creation of a foundation stage unit within
the school building.
4.
Background
4.1
The Pre-school currently occupies a post war HORSA hut, owned by
the County Council, located on School Lane, approximately 200m from
the primary school.
4.2
The group is registered for 26 children and is on the HCC Early Years
Directory. As such the County Council pays the pre-school for each
child aged 3-5 attending.
4.3
A recent structural evaluation of the HORSA building has indicated that
the building cannot be refurbished to attain current thermal and
ventilation standards. There is an urgent need to find alternative
accommodation.
4.4
The School Lane land has an extant permission for residential
development and no other service bids have been received for its
reuse.
4.5
A small extension to the Watton-at-Stone Primary School and
associated internal and external alterations would allow the school to
relocate its nursery class from a mobile on site, and that would allow
the pre-school to occupy the mobile.
4.6
This proposed solution is acceptable in principle to the school, the preschool and to CSF.
4.7
Watton at Stone is part of Phase 2 Children's Centre community and
the Primary School is now confirmed as the lead agency. From 2010
the entitlement for funded early years provision will have increased
from 5 x 2.5 hours sessions a week to 15 hours a week that can be
taken across a minimum of 3 days. This will mean that the preschool
and school nursery class will need to have suitable accommodation to
be open for longer hours in the future.
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6.
Town Planning
6.1
Redevelopment of the HORSA hut site for residential development is
considered to be consistent with the relevant national and local
planning policies relating to previously developed land.
6.2
The site has no designation within the local plan and as it is located
within an established residential area development for residential
purposes is consistent with local plan policies.
6.3
Outline planning permission was granted for residential development in
2001, this was subsequently renewed in 2005 as such the principle of
development for residential purposes has been established.
7.
Redeployment principles
7.1
The principles that the County Council adopts are:
To meet services property needs identified in service property
priorities.

A presumption of disposal of property no longer required for the
County Council’s own use.

All genuinely surplus property to be disposed as quickly and
efficiently as possibly.

Not to dispose of surplus property which may have strategic future
importance.
7.2
The HORSA hut building does not have any strategic importance.
8.
Financial Implications
8.1
The capital receipt that could be generated from the disposal of the
School Lane site, given that there is an extant outline planning
permission is estimated at £125K.
8.2
CSF has confirmed the availability of £80K from the pre-school
conversion grant. Watton-at-Stone school is prepared to contribute
£41K from its Devolved Formula Capital allocation. Allocation of £125k
from the expected capital receipt from the School Lane site to the
proposed extension project would meet the estimated construction cost
of the proposed scheme (£246K).
9.
Options
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9.1
The only alternative options to the proposal would be to do nothing –
which is unsustainable - or to sell the pre school site and retain the
capital receipt for general capital programme use. The effect of this will
be:
Produces the highest capital receipt.

Does not meet the County Council service aspirations.

There will still be the need to identify within Watton-at-Stone a site
elsewhere for the relocation of the playschool before the winter of
2006 in order to meet a service provision.
10.
VAT
10.1
The VAT incurred by Hertfordshire County Council on expenditure
attributable to the disposal will need to be included in the County
Council’s Section 33 Refund Calculation.
11.
Equalities
11.1
Re-location of the pre-school within the Primary School site would
provide improved facilities for pre-school children in the area and the
integrated foundation stage unit would provide improved facilities for
Nursery and Reception pupils.
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