Date of Meeting: 31st October 2007
Parish/Ward: Castle
Without Ward
Full
Agenda No. 5
Reference No:
07/01926/FULL
Proposal:
Applicant:
Installation of modular operating theatre at second floor level
with link corridor above first floor flat roof, relocation of air
handling unit to second floor roof
Princess Margaret Hospital 38 - 42 Osborne Road Windsor SL4
3SJ
Princess Margaret Hospital
Agent:
Trevor Flavell
Date Received:
16th July 2007
Case Officer:
Linda Arlidge
Member Call-in: Not applicable
Recommendation:
DLA
Date of Expiry: 10 September 2007
Location:
Planning Context:
Excluded Settlement
Inner Windsor Conservation Area
Area liable to flood
Sustainable Development Implications:
Maintained local facilities
LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS:
1.
Main Relevant Policies
Local Plan – CA1, CA2, DG1, F1, IMP1, R3, NAP3
Structure Plan – DP5, EN4, EN6
2.
3.
Previous Relevant Decisions
02/82216 Erection of a three storey rear extension Permitted
and second floor link extension and a
single storey outbuilding
07.04.03
05/01789 Certificate of Lawfulness to determine Permitted
whether the temporary siting of four development
modular operating theatres whilst
development is undertaken is lawful
02.08.05
Neighbour Notification Responses
No responses received to date.
4.
Conservation Officer
No objection.
5.
Environmental Protection
No objection, subject to condition limiting boundary noise.
Page 1
…..continued
REMARKS
The Site and Surroundings
1.
The Princess Margaret Hospital lies within a site of approximately 1 hectare to the north
of Osborne Road, 80 metres east of Frances Road. The main hospital building is
located parallel to the road frontage, with two car parks, separated by the Bourne Ditch,
to the rear. Within the car parks are several single storey brick outbuildings and a
temporary operating theatre used ancillary to the hospital.
2.
The hospital is surrounded by residential development, comprising older detached and
semi-detached dwellings in Frances Road to the northwest, the more recent and higher
density development of Chaucer Close to the east, and apartments in Osborne Road to
the south. The Frances Road properties benefit from relatively long gardens containing
mature trees and foliage, which screen views of the hospital and car park. A 2 metre
high close-boarded fence separates the Chaucer Close properties from the site. The
main hospital building blocks views from the Osborne Road apartments into the rear of
the site.
3.
Although the hospital site is densely developed, having been subject to many
extensions and alterations in the past, the presence of the Bourne Ditch with
surrounding trees and vegetation effectively divides the site in two and adds greenery
to reduce the urban appearance of such extensive development.
4.
Planning permission was granted on 7 April 2003 for the erection of a three storey rear
extension, second floor link extension and a single storey outbuilding, subject to a
Legal Agreement requiring the implementation of a Green Travel Plan (Ref: 02/82216).
This extension would provide five additional theatres. However, the extension has not
been implemented, and the hospital advises it has no intention of doing so as the longterm objective is to find an alternative site within the Royal Borough for a new hospital.
5.
Additional theatre space is currently being provided in a temporary mobile theatre
within the car park, in accordance with a Certificate of Lawfulness granted in 2005.
(Ref: 05/01789).
6.
The site is within the Inner Windsor Conservation Area, and partly within an area at
high risk from flooding (1 in 100 years).
The Proposal
7.
The proposal is to erect a single storey operating theatre suite, of modular construction,
on the existing first floor flat roof to the rear of the main hospital building. Located
between two existing three storey elements, and measuring approximately 16.5 metres
wide and 13.7 metres deep, the theatre suite would comprise operating theatre,
anaesthetic room, post-operative recovery area and ancillary preparation and changing
rooms.
8.
The new theatre would be linked to the existing wards at the second floor level by a
single storey corridor. A dedicated ventilation plant room measuring approximately 16.5
metres wide and 4 metres deep is proposed to be sited towards the back of the roof of
the modular theatre, bringing the overall height of the addition to 8.53 metres. The new
theatre would necessitate the relocation of an existing air handling unit from the first
floor to the existing second floor roof, and minor changes to an adjacent spiral fire
escape staircase. An additional 360 square metres of floorspace would be created by
the development.
9.
The external walls of the flat roofed theatre would comprise insulated panels with
render finish. The plant room would be clad with horizontal aluminium louvres, with
aluminium cills, fascia profile and access doors. Rainwater goods would be concealed
internally.
Page 2
…..continued
10.
The hospital states that, since the closure of Princess Christian’s Hospital in 2004, the
theatre workload at the Princess Margaret Hospital has increased considerably as the
hospital is now the only private hospital in the Borough. The local NHS consultants all
practice out of the hospital and the service has expanded and extended significantly
over the last few years in line with patient choice and expectations. The percentage of
people with private health insurance in the Royal Borough is significantly above the
national average. The additional theatre is therefore required to accommodate the
increasing demand for operations.
11.
The hospital advises that an additional theatre team of twelve people would be
employed following the development, with up to fiteen additional operations carried out
per day.
Principal Planning Issues
12.
Since the site is located within the Inner Windsor Conservation Area and an area liable
to flood, the main issues for consideration are:
i) Impact of development upon the character and appearance of the existing building
and Conservation Area;
iii) Impact upon living condition of occupiers of nearby properties;
iv) Impact on an area at risk of flooding; and
v) Developer contributions towards associated infrastructure.
Impact of development upon the character and appearance of the existing
building and Conservation Area
13.
The proposed installation is to the rear of the main hospital building, set behind the
front faēade and between two rear wings. Although the top of the plant room will
project approximately 1.5 metres above the front faēade, given the angles from the
ground it would not be visible from Osborne Road. Likewise, views of the installation
from the hospital car park and residential properties to the north would be screened
by the trees and vegetation along the banks of the Bourne Ditch; from the dwellings in
Frances Road to the northwest by the westerly wing of the hospital, and from the
dwellings in Chaucer Close by the easterly wing.
14.
Although not constructed from brick to match the hospital building, it is considered the
render to be an acceptable finish for the development, subject to agreement on
colour. The louvered plant room would be of similar finish to an existing plant room
adjacent. Conservation Officers have no objection to the proposal.
15.
Accordingly, the proposal would respect the character and appearance of the hospital
building, and, being well screened from public view, would preserve the character and
appearance of the Conservation Area, in accordance with Policies DG1, CA1 and
CA2 of the Local Plan.
Impact upon living condition of occupiers of nearby properties
16.
Page 3
The proposal involves the installation and re-siting of mechanical ventilation
equipment, with the potential to emit noise. The Council’s Environmental Protection
Unit has no objections to the proposal, subject to the imposition of a condition limiting
boundary noise to International Standards Organisation Noise Rating 40 between the
hours of 0700 and 2300, and Noise Rating 25 between 2300 and 0700 hours. The
imposition of such a condition would ensure the amenity of neighbouring residential
occupiers is protected from the additional plant, in accordance with Policy NAP3.
…..continued
Impact on an area at risk of flooding
17.
Policy F1 of the Local Plan limits developments within the area liable to flood to those
which do not impede the flow of flood water, reduce the capacity of the flood plain to
store water or increase the number of people or properties at risk. Although a Flood
Risk Assessment has not been submitted with the application, the resulting
development would not add to the ground floor area of the building and in the context
of the overall use it would not increase flood risk. Accordingly the proposal is in
accordance with Policy F1.
Developer Contributions towards associated infrastructure
18.
The applicant has identified that the provision of an additional theatre would result in
twelve additional staff and up to fifteen additional patients and their carers visiting the
site each day, placing pressure on existing services and infrastructure; as such in
accordance with Policies IMP1 and R3 and the Adopted Supplementary Planning
Document it is appropriate to seek the following developer contributions:
- Library services - £216 for additional facilities at Windsor Library;
- Public open space - £10,358.40 for improvements to formal facilities at Home Park
or landscape improvements at Osborne Open Space;
- Indoor Sport and Leisure - £ 3,528 for improvements to Windsor Leisure Centre pool
and hall;
- Highways and Public Transport - £23,274 for improvements to Osborne
Road/Frances Road plus a Hospital Travel Plan (including the employment of a
Hospital Travel Pan Co-ordinator);
- Economic Development - £6,139 for related economic development initiatives
including but not restricted to training and other programs to augment the level of
relevant skills amongst potential employees at the new development within the
Borough;
- Public Art and Heritage - £5,152.88 for refurbishment of studios at Windsor Arts
Centre or provision of a local heritage centre or museum for Windsor.
19.
The hospital has indicated a willingness to enter into such an agreement with the
Council.
Conclusion
20.
The siting and design of the proposed modular theatre on the first floor roof to the rear
of the existing hospital building is considered to preserve the character and appearance
of the building and this part of the Conservation Area. A condition limiting boundary
noise will ensure no harm to the living conditions of nearby residents. The proposal will
have no impact on an area liable to flood. Subject to securing the contributions to
infrastructure the proposal is consistent with the Development Plan and a grant of
permission is recommended.
Recommendation:
That the application be deferred and
authority delegated to the Head of Planning
to:
i) Grant planning permission subject to the
following
conditions
and
the
prior
completion of a satisfactory unilateral
undertaking; or
Page 4
…..continued
ii) Refuse planning permission if a
satisfactory unilateral undertaking is not
completed by 30th November 2007.
Conditions and Reasons
^CR;;
1
2
3
Page 5
The development hereby permitted shall be commenced within three years from the
date of this permission.
Reason: To accord with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country
Planning Act 1990.
No development shall take place until the colours of the render and aluminium
louvres to be used on external surfaces of the development(s) hereby permitted have
been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The
development(s) shall be carried out and maintained thereafter in accordance with the
approved details.
Reason: To ensure the character and appearance of the Inner Windsor Conservation
Area is preserved or enhanced, and in the interests of the visual amenities of the
area. Relevant Policies - Local Plan CA1, CA2 and DG1.
The noise levels on all boundaries of the site shall not as a result of this development
exceed International Standards Organisation (I.S.O) Noise Rating ^IN; between the
hours of 07.00 - 23.00 and ^IN; between 23.00 - 07.00 when plotted on an I.S.O.
Noise Rating Curve Chart.
Reason: To protect the amenities of the area and prevent nuisance arising from noise
and to accord with the Local Plan Policy NAP3.
…..continued