Strict conditions govern planning permission for new Holyport Manor

Detailed plans for a new Holyport Manor Special School with two all-weather pitches at Cox Green have been given the go-ahead by a special meeting of Maidenhead development control panel – but with more than 20 strict planning conditions to address concerns from the local community.

Meeting last night (Thursday June 5), the panel also agreed an outline planning application for proposed community sports and leisure facilities on the Cox Green campus, with access from Highfield Lane.  The approval means the council can now bid for the external grant funding needed to go ahead with this project, with a detailed planning application to follow in due course.

Cllr Richard Kellaway, who chaired the meeting, said both applications had raised a number of issues in the Cox Green area and he thanked speakers who had put their views so clearly.

He said:  "My aim as chairman was to ensure there was full and open discussion so that all panel members were fully aware of both sides before taking their decision. We were very conscious of the need to balance the concerns of the local community with the advantages of building a brand new school for the benefit of both Holyport Manor pupils and for those attending schools on the Cox Green campus.

"So, while approving the application, we have insisted on a wide range of conditions to address community concerns and the council will make sure they are adhered to both before and after the building is complete."

The conditions include:

• new access road off Cannon Lane to be completed before work starts on the school
• travel plans for the Cox Green site to be in place before the school opens
• car parking strategy and management plan to be approved by the council ahead of the development and all parking and turning spaces to be provided before the school opens
• floodlighting to be directional with limits imposed on the intensity of light spillage
• pitches and floodlighting to be used only between 9am and 9.30pm Mondays – Saturdays and 9am – 7pm Sundays
• no sound amplifying equipment to be installed or used 
• tree protection and landscaping plans to be in place
• construction management plan to be approved, including details of parking etc for construction workers and materials.

Cllr Kellaway added:  "We believe that, along with the amendments already made in response to residents' feedback, this planning application offers a way forward that is both realistic and deliverable.  Local residents can be assured that we will be monitoring progress very closely to make sure that all the planning conditions are adhered to and we will not hesitate to intervene if any breaches are found in the future."

Granting outline permission for the community sports and leisure facilities, the panel also imposed a series of conditions covering, for example, noise, travel plans and construction management.  In response to a suggestion from the Cox Green Community Association, the panel agreed that the applicant (the council) should be asked to take account of the community association's views in the detailed preparation for the siting and design of the new building.

Cllr Eileen Quick, lead member for children's services, said: "I am pleased we are now in a position to go ahead with the school and provide vastly improved facilities for pupils at both Holyport Manor and Cox Green schools."

Cllr Jesse Grey, lead member for leisure and culture, added:  "Granting of outline planning permission for the sports and leisure centre allows us to seek funding from other bodies, along with sponsorship, to provide modern facilities in the heart of the Cox Green area."