Plans to rebuild a special education needs and disabilities (SEND) school outside Rickmansworth have finally received the go-ahead.
The design – which has the support of councillors – will see Breakspeare School in Abbots Langley rebuilt as a state-of-the-art premises four miles away in Croxley Green.
It will be situated just to the west of Little Green Junior School, which is to receive a new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) as compensation for losing some of its playing fields.
The plans were deferred at a previous meeting of Herts County Council’s development control committee in July, amid concerns over the proposed access road through a quiet cul-de-sac in Manor Way.
The application was discussed again at the latest development control committee on Thursday, October 24, with an updated application which included the reasoning behind using Manor Way as the entrance to the site.
Principal planning officer Sharon Threlfall said: “In coming to this conclusion, the applicant has considered eight different options, that were assessed prior to the application.”
A total of eight access routes were considered, including Little Green Lane, Lincoln Drive, Lincoln Way, Manor Way, Manor Way West, Killingdown Farm, Little Green Junior School and Grove Crescent.
With the exception of Option 3 (Lincoln Way) and Option 4 (Manor Way), all other routes were rejected for the following reasons:
- Option 1, Little Green Lane – The road cannot accommodate two-way traffic and the use of the lane would conflict with the rural road policy. A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is in place to prevent unnecessary leisure motor vehicle traffic and fly tipping.
- Option 2, Lincoln Drive – The access would have a major impact on the whole width of the junior school’s playing field.
- Option 5, Manor Way (West) – The road is an unadopted private road which would have to upgraded and then adopted.
- Option 6, Killingdown Farm – This option was initially discounted due to the reliance on the house builder’s timescales, and the need for the adoption of roads within the development.
- Option 7, Little Green Junior School – A potential joint access was discounted due to the impact on vehicle movements [unspecified] and the loss of space from the junior school.
- Option 8, Grove Crescent – The option was discounted due to a reliance on a third party to redesign a housing layout that was only approved on appeal.
The application states that in considering Option 3 (Lincoln Way), it was determined that the road included private land and was not part of the adopted highway. It was judged that development would cause a greater impact on the junior school playing fields, as well as the loss of vegetation.
During the last development control committee meeting, councillors asked whether a compulsory purchase order could be made on private land for a new access. However, as this process typically takes over two years and the application already has an access route (Manor Way) deemed “acceptable” by highways, the report states the council would not have a good case for a compulsory purchase.
The application states: “The only access option before the Development Control Committee is as set out in the application, via Manor Way (Option 4); this has been subject to the formal consultation process.
“The Transport Assessment forecasts that the proposed development will generate 170 two-way vehicle trips [85 movements in, 85 movements out] during each of the school peak periods…
“It is anticipated that 150 (of the 210) pupils will come from the existing Breakspeare School catchment.” The remaining 60 pupils are expected to travel by Herts County Council transport vehicles.
One traffic impact concern is that the proposed school entrance on Manor Way is only 4.8 metres wide, which is narrower than the requirement of 6.1 metres.
During Thursday’s committee meeting, Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Zukowskyj said: “How can it be an appropriate access? If we’re talking about the school traffic movements being significantly – we’re talking at least triple – the number of journeys you would expect on a minor access road, to be produced by this development?
“You keep referring to it as appropriate and I just wonder in what context you can continue to say that?”
Manjinder Sehmi, highways development manager at HCC, said: “Now, the 4.8 metres in reference to Manor Way is in fact very limited in terms of the last 100 metres of Manor Way. This is an existing carriageway… If it was a new carriageway, the access width would be required 5.5 metres according to the new guidance.
“This is an existing carriageway of 4.8 metres and runs for 100 metres. The rest of the carriageway is quite wide to cater for two minibuses…”
Mr Sehmi described potential conflict on the access route as “limited” and said there was opportunity for passing vehicles. He added the applicant’s consultant had submitted a tracking diagram showing what traffic is feasible and what is not.
He added: “So on that basis, we consider the access to be appropriate from Manor Way.”
Jaspreet Lyall, HCC’s principal lawyer, said: “The use of the word ‘appropriate’ effectively is saying this access has been tested by reference to the standard method and methodology procedure, and within that context, it has been determined to be appropriate to be used for this particular development.”
Barry Grant, of Croxley Green Residents Association, said: “The need, location and design for the new school is not disputed. But the most basic planning requirement is to ensure the buses that transport pupils in and out of the school can either safely pass each other on the highway approach to the school or enter one road and exit by another without risk to pupils, pedestrians or oncoming vehicles.
“These buses can’t pass each other along Manor Way without mounting walkways. They’re too wide, as our photo indicates, and there’s a three-form junior entry next door.
“Attempting to control vehicle flow from the school’s side is impossible when there are so many variables on the public highway. It merely confirms our stance that in the real world, Manor Way can’t accommodate two-way bus traffic.
“We expect the school to operate and grow over many decades and so it’s absolutely vital that the access design is right, not rushed and not predicated on cost… we can’t see that any detailed analysis or ranking of the other access options has been undertaken on a site which currently has no vehicular access whatsoever.
“The applicant has chosen not to amend the access route for its scheme. Is this merely a ruse to give the committee no option and to pass this application because the school relocation is urgently needed? This isn’t how development control should ever work.”
Guy Parks, of Croxley Green Parish Council, also said his council did not believe the access arrangements are “workable”.
Councillors voted six in favour, one against and with two abstentions.
Stewart Carr is a Local Democracy Reporter covering stories from across Hertfordshire, including politics, policing, transport, housing, planning and major local developments. His reporting focuses on the decisions and issues shaping communities across the county, from council meetings and regeneration projects to public services and accountability.
