Bower Ashton Residents Association

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Peter

Ashton Park School Redevelopment

Comment to Planning Authority - 6th October 2008 Ref: Ashton Park School redevelopment Dear Mr Stone Planning Application Nos. 08/03528/F and 08/03529/LC Regarding the proposed redevelopment of Ashton Park School we would like to make the following objections:- The proposal to open/extend the use of Parklands Road as an entrance to the school. In all previous attempts by the school to enable increased access through the Parklands Road entrance, the Highways department has been consistent in delivering a firm objection. This is a clear precedent, a veto based on safety and suitability that we ask the Planning Authorities to be consistent in maintaining with regards to this new application, since nothing in the local environment of Parklands Road has changed to make the situation any more viable. The environment, road construction, road width and lack of pavement all ensure that Parklands Road is not suitable to cater for any increase in vehicle traffic, nor indeed, large numbers of pedestrian traffic when it is mixed with other vehicles. The road is already busy and congested at commuter time with overflow parking from both UWE and the school. Pedestrians and pupils walking down the road (after a point there are no pavements and even where they are, pupils don’t use them) are already at risk both from local traffic and the increased number of cars driven by parents who now drop students at the school’s Parklands Road gate, despite this not being an agreed access point. I invite the planners to experience reversing with little visibility into a narrow roadway already used by pedestrian students, sometimes in groups (easier to see) or individually, (less easy to see), walking randomly down a lane with no pavements.. and then imagine what it would be like with more students and more traffic. The use of Blackmoors as an entrance for construction traffic Blackmoors and the Bower Ashton Roundabout are both heavily congested in the morning and later in the afternoon. The proposal to increase the pressure on this small road, and the busy access routes to it, and to supposedly mix construction and other school and commuter traffic seems reckless to say the least. In investing millions of pounds in the redevelopment of Ashton Park School, the developers have missed a major opportunity to rethink and re-invest in new, safer access points to the school, a process which would better equip the school to overcome the current access limitations and better enable its long term expansion in the future. It is unfortunate that the consultation process with residents was left to such a late stage that none of the very real alternative access proposals made by people who know and care about this community could be investigated in time for the submission of these planning proposals. With such an important re-development, it might have been prudent and sensible to have scheduled months, rather than days, for a meaningful consultation process – if the developers were genuinely interested in the community’s response and the value of our input. Numerous changes to the plans post the consultation process Specifically:- the positioning of the biomass boiler, shown in consultation to be at the centre of the site but now situated adjacent to both Blackmoors and Rownham Close properties. This is in an unnecessary infringement on neighbourhood properties. increases to building heights and the inclusion of windows overlooking Rownham Close, an unnecessary intrusion on residents’ privacy the positioning of the all-weather sports court, now set to be another source of light and noise pollution to local residents Most disappointing has been the misleading nature of the consultation process. Our position has always been one of support for the redevelopment of the School and the many benefits the long awaited investment could bring to local children and the community as a whole. For that reason, we, like many other local residents had hoped that, by taking an active and considered part in the consultation process, the end result would be a planning application that we could all celebrate and support. We have been mislead, again, and our frustration stems from the fact that we know there are better solutions. We would like them to be incorporated and we would like to be supportive. Finally, it is also important to note that Bower Ashton is a conservation area. Like many of the people who live here, we have invested and engaged in sustaining that conservation idea, to help maintain and support what is a unique and special environment enjoyed by many people from across the city. Any new development or change to planning status should only be considered with its impact on the conservation area in mind. We would ask you to consider whether the proposals put forward by Ashton Park School developers will indeed enhance this conservation area, or whether as seems more likely, the proposed construction and access plans will instead lead to the denigration of the environment to the long term detriment not just to several hundred residents but also to the many thousands of visitors, walkers and cyclists who come to Bower Ashton, its Cricket Club, its allotments, its nursery, its school and University, as well as the many attractions of Ashton Court Estate.

Comment to Planning Authority - 6th October 2008 First before commenting on the shool re-development plan I wish to complain on the misleading nature of the consultation process. I can't write about other issues but the two major planning issues directly affecting Rownham Close are the location of the Energy Centre and the height and proximity of the building (and windows) overlooking Rownham Close in the main new school buildings. In both of these cases, plans were shown to the residents at the final consultation meeting. Those plans mostly satisfied their concerns on these matters. However in the actual plans now online, they have simply reverted back to the original plans. I except that for various reasons plans can change but wish to make the planning committee aware of these changes and ask you to look at those changes in more detail and also consider that some residents may be simply unaware of the planning change. Biomass Boiler Biomass Boiler sounds very eco friendly, words do matter but I think I am correct in that I could equally describe it as a wood burning fan assisted furnace, generating steam and producing power via steam turbines, this is not a small domestic boiler. The building is approximately 25m from my converted loft office which at about 7m height is well above any sound proofing provided by the boundary wall. In this location my concerns are operational noise, noise from deliveries and collections and emissions from the flues 'nicely' positioned at a level with my windows I think. I would suggest that there were planning constraints on the number and time of deliveries/pickups, type of fuel (clean wood chip only) and restriction on the time of day it could be used, that is not in use from late evening to early morning. Its location in the corner of the school immediately behind Blackmoors Lane and Rownham Close properties maximizes the number of residents affected, the sloping roof is entirely above the boundary wall and seems designed to radiate noise to the surrounding properties. Sited so far from the main school buildings it seems inflexible as well, in that using it for combined heat and power would not an economic option in this position, probably not a concern for planners I guess. Safety Issues regarding access through Blackmoors Lane There is no mention of the peak congestion time for school in Skanska's - Planning, Design and Access statement. This occurs around the school closure time in the afternoon, typically 15:00 to 15:30 at its worst on wet days with more parents collecting children. I would suggest one of the planners visit to view the traffic congestion at this time and consider any safety implications (for residents and school children) of additional traffic or parking in Blackmoors Lane and Rownham Close. Parking by construction workers or displaced staff is potentially a major problem in my opinion. I would also like to point out that both exits from Greville Smyth Park into Blackmoors Lane are potentially dangerous at times when construction traffic will be using the road. The park walls and narrow pavement on the park side of the road makes it easy for a child to walk or cycle straight onto the roadway. I have had a child on a bike run into the side of my car when I was passing the lower of these two park exits. Alternative Route to school accessed via Ashton Road (near to the Dovecote) I am concerned that this route appears to have had so little consideration. Safety wise it is by far preferable with few, perhaps no children walking near this route, is safety not paramount in planning terms? Other issues are balanced to some extent. The Blackmoors Lane route has many trees lost or damaged in the lengthy route along the back of the school and indeed it also runs beneath the Giant Sequoia. That route also requires building a long new roadway close to the listed Town Gate Lodge and close to long runs of the listed wall and then involves running heavy construction traffic along the new roadway, undesirable and likely to cause some damage to the listed structures. Historically the Town Gate Lodge was the estates main entrance and exit to/from Bristol and the new construction roadway must cross the old historic drive at least twice losing some of the historic record too. School Lighting The school has a bad record of poorly adjusted lighting that shines into residents bedrooms and I would ask the planning committee make sure that the school and developers do not repeat this wasteful and annoying habit.

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