Plans to build a housing development on the site of a former primary school have been delegated by the Northern Planning Committee.
The Northern Planning Committee considered a planning application from Russell Homes on Wednesday, 14th March, to demolish the existing buildings at the former Oaklands Community Infant School and replace them with a development of 21 homes.
Given that the application had recently been amended they resolved to delegate the decision to planning officers to enable local residents to be consulted on recently amended plans.
Oaklands Community School and Dean Row Primary School were amalgamated in 2007 to form Dean Oaks Community Primary School, since then the Tudor Road site has remained derelict.
The controversial application is seeking permission to demolish the existing buildings at the former school and replace them with a development of 21 homes, including six affordable homes. The main access will be from Dean Row Road to a cul-de-sac of 15 dwellings whilst the existing access, which previously served the school and currently serves the Day Nursery will also form access to six dwellings.
Objections were raised by local residents on the grounds of over-development of the site, the impact upon the highway, parking congestion on surrounding streets and loss of open space.
Planning Officer Sue Orrell told the committee that "An audit has been untaken which demonstrated that there is no loss of open space necessary to result in refusing permission because there is adequate provision locally".
Residents of Tudor Green consider that they already suffer congestion as a result of the adjacent school and that this development will add to the congestion.
Neil Jones, Principal Development Officer, said "There is considerable parking and congestion by schools but the school is now gone and it is going to be replaced effectively by six units. Overall this must be a benefit."
During the application stage the layout of the scheme has been amended, most extensively to the Dean Row frontage but the application was recently amended to bring plot 16 forward, pulling it a couple of metres further away from the boundary with 32 Tudor Road.
The Northern Planning Committee agreed, by 7 votes to 1, to delegate the decision to the Development Control Manager in conjunction with the chair and vice-chair to enable the revised plans to be considered.
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