How To Develop A School In A Parkland Area Of A Village

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1 This statement should be read in conjunction with New Leaf Studio drawing SJS342/Drg02 Strategic Landscape Proposals 1. Impacts of the proposed Development 1.1 Existing trees As far as possible the layout of the proposed development has been designed to respond to and retain the best of the existing trees, however the constraints of the site and fact that it is smaller than ideally recommended by the Department for Education and Skills for a school of this size, has given limited flexibility to retain all the trees with future potential. However it has been possible to retain all the trees that are of most significance to the wider character of the area, and indeed the development provides opportunity for some enhancement through new tree planting and management of the adjacent section of the Linear Park embankment. Where trees are being retained it will be necessary to ensure that working methods and construction details will allow sufficient root volume to be retained undamaged to ensure continued healthy growth. A tree protection plan (TPP) in accordance with BS5857: 2005 will be prepared and submitted for approval by the Planning Authority in due course. 1.2 Landscape Character The biggest impact on landscape character will result from the placing the new school building on the allotment area. This will result in a more closed semi-urban frontage to Oldfield Lane at this end of the site. The remaining open space to the rear of the school will be enclosed and be of only limited visibility from remote areas. However whilst there will be a loss of openness this existing characteristic is itself of limited benefit due to lack of access and limited direct overlooking from adjacent properties. In addition the presence of the school building and associated landscape treatment will bring this space into greater harmony with its surroundings, changing from the abandoned overgrown character of the disused allotments to a more controlled semi-urban character more in keeping with that of the surrounding residential development. At the western end of the site the removal of the existing parish hall and temporary school buildings will also have some positive impact on the character of the area through replacement of the parish hall with a new structure linked to and more in keeping with the listed building, the church. 2. Proposed Landscape Treatment 2.1 Frontage to Oldfield Lane In setting the proposed new school building back from the road, there is an opportunity to provide a more harmonised frontage to Oldfield Lane. Taking cues from the treatment currently at the front of the church and presbytery, the intention is to provide a low rubble stone wall along the back edge of the footway. The space between wall and building will then be provides and opportunity for planting comprising narrow growing species of tree and a mixed shrub belt New Leaf Studio Chartered Landscape Architects SJS342 ADFK Page 1 of 5

2 providing a green buffer between road and the school building. This green buffer space is a similar depth to the front gardens of surrounding terraces houses. The existing good quality frontage to presbytery and church will be maintained intact, unaffected by the development apart from an area near the presbytery garage, where the frontage wall is to be moved back as part of the proposed road widening. Here existing planting will be made good and improved. To the front of the new parish hall the treatment will echo that to the front of the church, simply comprising a grass space behind the low stone boundary wall, with a combination of existing trees retained and new tree planting to replace trees that it is necessary to remove to enable the development. The front boundary of the all weather (MUGA) sports pitch is then set back from the highway edge in order to provide a coach drop off lay-by and parking bays beyond. The pitch itself will be bounded by a 3.3m high weld mesh fence that will be planted with climbers in order to form a Fedge (hybrid between an fence and a hedge) to soften and partially screen the MUGA. Further softening and greening will be provided by three narrow growing trees, to echo those proposed for the front of the school building. These will be planted in gaps between paired parking spaces. 2.2 School Grounds The school grounds themselves, to the south of the proposed school buildings are of more limited size than ideal. The design for these spaces is intended to provide a framework of the key surfaces and spaces necessary for the functioning of the school, with the intention that some spaces will be further developed and features added through a project involving pupils, parents and staff of the school. Their involvement will encompass the initial design and masterplanning process and then go on to involve them in building or installing the various add-on elements. It is hoped to make use of some of the resources provided by the charity Learning Through Landscapes ( for this process. The principal play areas are divided into three zones, for Junior, Infant and Reception level children. The Junior playground is divided into two zones. Adjacent to the ground floor junior classrooms there will be an upper quiet area. This includes a covered outdoor space associated with each classroom and a shared paved court beyond. This space is enclosed by a series of large planting boxes connected by pergolas with seating. Each planting box will be provided with a small tree to provide shade and vertical division of the space. The whole space is then divided into a series of rectangular sub-divisions by fairly formalised bands of contrasting paving that emanate from the projecting cloakroom pod of each classroom. The lower ball court / active area will be line marked for suitable team ball sports. The space is sufficient size to accommodate one full size tennis or netball court, or three first step netball courts or 3-4 short tennis courts. This is also the area where more active break time play will be encouraged. The junior playground is linked via a path around the end of the school hall and kitchens to the Infant playground. A less formal approach has been taken for the infant playground, reflecting the age of the children. The playground is divided into three interlocking circles of decreasing size, each with a planting box and shade tree. These circles provide a scalloped interface with the grass area beyond. New Leaf Studio Chartered Landscape Architects SJS342 ADFK Page 2 of 5

3 This grass area is of sufficient size to accommodate a 50m long running track in line with DfES guidelines. To the side of the reception classroom block at the eastern end of the school building, a small equipped play area will be provided, making use of equipment recently installed and to be relocated from the existing infant site (area of proposed MUGA sports pitch) Beyond this is a small semi-circular playground for the reception classes. This will be provided with a series of low storage cupboards along one edge where larger outdoor play equipment can be kept. The far eastern end of the site rises up and is accessed via a short flight of steps from either the reception play area or the end of the grass running track area. At this stage this area will be simply treated with some shrubby buffer planting along its northeastern edge, and then largely laid to grass. This is seen as one of the key areas for future pupil and staff involvement through a Learning Through Landscapes type scheme. 2.3 Access The main visitor entrance is located at the centre of the building where the school hall and administration areas provide a link between the junior and Infant wings. There is a small paved court in front of the door at lower level than the adjacent public footway. Access is gained either via a flight of shallow steps or a short ramp that will have a gradient of 1:20 or shallower. Junior pupils will access the site from opposite the western end of the school building, where virtually level access is possible from public highway to school building and around the side to the junior playground. This access will also be used for maintenance and kitchen deliveries. This will require careful management of deliveries to ensure they do not coincide with main periods of pupil movement. Whilst most of the openings in the frontage wall onto the road will not be gated, this vehicular access will have a gate to force pupils to use the adjacent pedestrian opening, which will have a pedestrian barrier on the carriageway / footway edge to improve safety for emerging pupils. The Infant and reception end of the school will be accessed from a further entrance, this time located off the footpath set back from the carriageway. Here a flight of shallow steps give access direct to the glazed link between the end of the infant classrooms and the reception block. Alternatively a curving ramp gives access around the end of the building into the reception play area. 2.4 Link to all weather pitch During school hours, the all weather (MUGA) sports pitched will be accessed via a path leading along the rear of the presbytery garden. Due to the presence of mature trees, which are to be retained, it is proposed that this path be constructed as a board walk, above existing ground levels, thus keeping root disturbance and damage to the trees to an absolute minimum. It is intended that the boardwalk will be constructed from black or dark brown recycled plastic boards, as commonly seen on a number of nature reserve sites. Use of this material will not only be more durable than wood, but will be less slippery under the shade of the trees. Formation of this link will necessitate culverting a short section of the stream that passes from the base of the liner park embankment through the presbytery garden. New Leaf Studio Chartered Landscape Architects SJS342 ADFK Page 3 of 5

4 The path will be separated from the presbytery garden by a simple vertical bar metal railing fence about 1 to 1.2m high. This will be selected to provide security but in as invisible a way as possible. 2.5 All weather pitch Treatment of the road frontage to the all weather pitch is described above. Beyond that, the pitch itself will be subject to little in the way of landscape treatment. The boundary fences will be carefully selected form a co-ordinating range of metal posted fencing, to provide a combination of open mesh and solid acoustic panel fencing as indicated on the drawing. 2.6 Linear Park Embankment The boundary with the base of the linear park embankment will be fenced with a new 3m high weld mesh security fence. The colour of this (probably black) will be selected to be as invisible as possible against the vegetation beyond. Whilst outside the site boundary, and thus beyond works that the DfES grant for the transfer school will be allowed to be used for, Bath and North East Somerset Council have asked for works to the vegetation on the embankment to be included as part of the planning application. Most of the larger trees on the embankment that are important in the wider landscape are planted no the upper portions of the bank. The lower parts of the slope are dominated by shrubby species, much of which have become somewhat leggy over time, in part due to the shade of the larger tree above. The school development necessitates little if any work to the larger trees on the upper bank, beyond a detailed inspection by and arboriculturist to ensure their safety. However it is proposed that shrubby planting along a 6m wide strip from the site boundary should be coppiced. This will encourage more bushy regenerative growth and will provide an opportunity to plant a new 3-row wide native shrub hedge along the rear of the boundary fence. There is also potential to plant new large growing trees on more open parts of the upper slopes of the embankment. Notional planting positions are indicated on the strategic landscape plan. It is suggested that these new trees should be predominantly oak which is currently only present as a minority species, rather than the dominant ash. New Leaf Studio Chartered Landscape Architects SJS342 ADFK Page 4 of 5

5 3. Select list of proposed new planting 3.1 Road frontage TREES Acer campestre Elsrijck Acer palmatum (single specimen near new church hall) Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine SHRUBS Cornus alba vars. Hypericum Hidcote Rosa rugosa Viburnum tinus Hebe Midsummer Beauty Prunus laurocerasus Zabeliana Viburnum davidii 3.2 School grounds PERIMETER TO WILDLIFE / QUIET GARDEN Cornus sanguinea Cornus alba vars. Viburnum tinus SHADE TREES IN PLAYGROUND Platanus x acerifolia trained as clipped umbrella specimen Or Koelreuteria paniculata 3.3 Frontage of MUGA TREES Acer campestre Elsrijck CLIMBERS ON FENCE Euonymus fortunei Sliver Queen Euonymus fortunei Emerald n Gold 3.3 New tree planting on linear park embankment Quercus robur Fraxinus excelsior 3.4 New native hedge to base of embankment Cornus sanguinea Rosa arvensis Crataegus monogyna Prunus spinosa New Leaf Studio Chartered Landscape Architects SJS342 ADFK Page 5 of 5