HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
CABINET
MONDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2005 AT 2.00 PM
Agenda Item No.
4
LAND AT HERNS LANE, WELWYN GARDEN CITY
INCLUDING THE FORMER YOUTH CENTRE SITE AND PART OF THE
SITE OF SIR FREDERIC OSBORN SCHOOL
Report of the Corporate Director(People and Property), and the Director of
Children, Schools and Families
Authors:
Ken McMaster, Hertfordshire Property 01992 588126
Lindsay Martin, CSF 01992 556718
Executive Members: David Beatty, Robert Gordon
Local Member: Bob Mays
1.
Purpose of the Report
1.1
To consider proposals for the development, allocation and disposal of
land at Herns Lane, Panshanger, Welwyn Garden City together with an
associated School Incentive Scheme proposal.
2.
Summary
2.1
The former Youth Centre site at Herns Lane is surplus to requirements
and is strategically positioned to provide access to rear lands.
2.2
The adjoining site of Sir Frederic Osborn School is significantly larger
than is required for its existing building capacity and also beyond what
is required for reserve growth to 8 Forms of Entry (FE) size. Potentially
surplus school land could, with the benefit of access through the former
Youth Centre site and subject to grant of planning permission, provide
a well located site for housing development.
2.3
These circumstances provide the opportunity for a significant land
disposal by the County Council and for the school to have a School
Incentive Scheme project funded by part of the disposal proceeds. The
most pressing premises need at the school is for modern facilities to
support the physical education curriculum and an outline scheme for a
sports hall and all weather pitch has been developed.
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2.4
The Children Schools and Families Service has need for a replacement
Children’s Home site and part of the lands at Herns Lane would,
subject to planning permission, be suitable for this purpose.
2.5
A scheme for comprehensive development for housing, children’s
home and school sports facilities has been formulated.
3.
Conclusions
3.1
Subject to the grant of the appropriate planning permissions, part of Sir
Frederic Osborn School site and the adjacent former Youth Centre site
can be disposed of for housing development.
3.2
Subject to the grant of planning permission, a further part of the Sir
Frederic Osborn school site and the former Youth Centre site can be
allocated for the site of a children’s home.
3.3
A further part of the Sir Frederic Osborn school site adjoins the site of
Watchlytes JMI School and, if allocated as reserve primary school
expansion land, can ensure that school has site capacity to allow future
development to 2FE size.
3.4
A School Incentive Scheme project for Sir Frederic Osborn School can
be agreed in principle. That will, subject to successful sale of the land
referred to in paragraph 3.1 above, provide the majority or all of the
funding for a school capital project to provide sports hall and all
weather pitch facilities.
3.5
In order to help with the management of the proposed disposal and the
school incentive scheme project, the timing of disposal and investment
decisions and the setting of the budgets for the project can be
delegated to the Corporate Director, People and Property, in
consultation with the Executive Members for Resources and for
Children Schools and Families.
3.6
As there is no further requirement for a reserve primary school site in
north-eastern Welwyn Garden City, the reserve primary school site at
Bericot Way, Panshanger, Welwyn Garden City can be released.
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4.
Background
4.1
Hertfordshire Property’s review team identified potential over-capacity
of land holdings at the Panshanger area of Welwyn Garden City and
the opportunity to provide land for development and to release
resources for service improvement.
4.2
A report to the Property Panel in April 2003 considered the secondary
school site capacities and the long term future demand for secondary
school places in Welwyn Garden City. It was concluded that surplus
land at one site, of the Sir Frederic Osborn School, could be released
and also that if other land at that site could be allocated as reserve
primary school expansion land a nearby reserve primary school site
could be released.
4.3
The Panel recommended to the Executive Member for Resources that
the proposals be pursued. Full investigations and negotiations with
stakeholders have since been undertaken.
4.4
The site of Sir Frederic Osborn School contains reserve expansion
capacity well beyond the site needed for its current 7 FE buildings
capacity and also beyond its reserve potential growth size of 8FE.
4.5
Part of the playing field area of the school site is affected by an urban
open land planning policy. A smaller part is not so affected and this
part of the site can be considered for urban land use development if not
required for school purposes.
4.6
Adjacent to that part of the school site is the site of the former Youth
Centre, now out of service use and surplus to requirements. This site is
strategically located opposite to the existing junction of Daniells with
Herns Lane and if part is used for highway improvement allows a major
access to be provided to serve development to the rear.
4.7
Technical evaluation has shown that an area of land measuring about
1.6 hectares (4 acres) can be released for development on the south
side of Herns Lane with a new junction providing capacity to serve both
development of that land and new access to the school site.
4.8
Following the review of secondary school provision in Welwyn Garden
City in 1998 remodelling of classroom accommodation was completed
at Sir Frederic Osborn School. However the school lacks modern
accommodation to support the physical education curriculum.
4.9
The CSF Service analysis of future demand for primary school places
in eastern Welwyn Garden City shows that demand will not exceed the
current built capacity. This confirms that there is no need to develop a
school on the reserve 1FE primary school site at Bericot Way,
Panshanger. This is a site originally acquired in pursuance of a
planning obligation. There is a provision in the transfer to the County
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Council for the original owner to buy the site back should a school not
have been constructed on the site by 22 May 2007. It is clear there is
no need to develop a school at that site now and also that it is likely the
original owner will exercise the right purchase it. In the circumstances it
is appropriate to ensure there are, for the long term, other reserve
means of expanding primary school places in east WGC.
5.
Proposals
5.1
The results of the school site capacity and highway access studies
have allowed production of a scheme for comprehensive development
for housing and school sports facilities.
5.2
The first plan attached to this report, entitled “Illustrative layout” and
prepared by Vincent & Gorbing planning consultants, shows how the
surplus land can be developed to provide a new high quality highway
access, housing and direct access to retained land upon which can be
developed the new sports facilities needed by the school.
5.3
Included with the housing scheme is a site for a Children’s Home,
which is needed by CSF Service as part of the wider Children’s Service
PFI Scheme.
5.4
Cabinet approved the CSF Service PFI strategy for the provision of
looked after children residential places, including the proposal for a
new site adjacent to Sir Frederic Osborn School, at its meeting on 11
July 2005.
5.5
The reduction of the school site capacity, the release of potentially
surplus land for disposal and the use of the School Incentive Scheme
to provide funding for a capital project, to provide sports facilities, have
been agreed in principle with Sir Frederic Osborn School.
5.6
Discussions with local authority planners and Sport England have
identified a strategy that could lead to successful outcomes to planning
applications for school premises expansion, children’s home and
residential developments.
5.7
The consent of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills is
needed for the sale of playing field land and a full application under
Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 will need
to be made. The proposals for re-provision of school sports facilities
will be an important consideration in that application.
5.8
The second plan attached to the report, entitled “Site reallocation plan”,
shows the parts of the school site that it is proposed be sold (cross
hatched) and allocated as reserve expansion land to enable the future
expansion to 2FE capacity of Watchlytes JMI School (hatched).
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5.9
Should the school site be reduced in size by these proposals it would
still have a potential capacity for a school of 10 FE size. It is proposed
that site capacity should be retained at that level against possible
‘Building Schools for the Future’ and long term planning needs.
6.
Town Planning
6.1
Technical investigations to support development feasibility are
complete. A draft planning application is being prepared for a
comprehensive scheme of development to provide access, residential
development, sports hall and all weather pitch. The scheme will allow
for the proposed children’s home site. It is proposed that the
application will be submitted at an early date.
6.2
An application for planning permission for the Children’s Home has
already been made and was considered by the Development Control
Committee on 31 October 2005. The Committee resolved to grant
permission.
6.3
It is possible that, to meet town planning and Sport England
requirements, replacement playing fields will have to be made available
somewhere else in Welwyn Hatfield District. Potential locations are
being investigated and the most promising identified so far is the land
at the rear of the New Barnfield site, Hatfield. The actual need, location
and cost of the replacement playing fields will not be known until the
planning application has progressed.
6.4
The land at New Barnfield in Hatfield (or an alternative site) will need to
be reserved for replacement playing field in connection with the release
of land at Sir Frederic Osborn School for development.
7.
Financial Implications
7.1
The net capital receipt arising from the sale of the potentially surplus
land is estimated to be in the range of £3.1m to £3.5m (Lambert Smith
Hampton Category B estimate).
7.2
The estimated value of the site proposed to be allocated as a
Children’s Home site is £0.9m (Lambert Smith Hampton Category B
estimate).
7.3
The initial costing of the proposed sports hall and all weather pitch is
£3.0m to 3.5m (Mace pre Gateway 1 estimate).
7.4
There is therefore the prospect of the majority of the funding for
schools needs for modern sports facilities being met from a School
Incentive Scheme settlement based on the sale of the potentially
surplus land at the estimated value indicated above. Should the
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outcome of the sale not meet the whole cost of the sports hall and all
weather pitch there could be phased development, with the later phase
being implemented once full funding has been secured.
7.5
There is a possibility that the estimated total costs of the school sports
facilities project could exceed the potential capital receipt.
7.6
This leads to recommendation of a market testing exercise to seek
contemporaneous contracts for the sale of surplus land and for
procurement of the school sports facilities, to ensure that the project is
robustly self financing before commitments are made (with the
Corporate Director, People & Property delegated, in consultation, to
agree the commitments).
Background papers:
Report to and Minutes of Property Panel, 14 April 2003.
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