Note From CRC: Response from Dick Palmer regarding our letter and covering letter sent on 4thApril 2008.
Dear CRC Members
City College Norwich Campus Redevelopment
Thank you for your further letter which, in my holding reply, I promised to respond to in detail. I am sorry for the delay in doing so but you raised a number of points that I wished to respond to with as much further information as possible.
I genuinely don’t accept your first point about what you describe as a ‘predetermined PR exercise’ and it was absolutely not the intention to insult anyone’s intelligence, obfuscate or gloss over any facts. The decision to make sure that residents knew of our intentions at such an early stage – well in advance even of an Outline Planning application, over a year before a Full Planning application and potentially two years before any work begins on the site - was precisely to ensure that there was no suggestion of this being done in secret. The initial Open Days and communication to residents, and the recent newsletter (which will be a regular update) are all intended to ensure that residents are kept fully informed at every step of the way.
What I do accept is that the decision to share our plans months in advance of even having initial architects drawings or models, and specifically the decision to create a ‘blocking model’ of the Master Plan has led to some understandable concern among local residents. In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to use imagery and models that will bear absolutely no relation to the design of the campus that we actually intend to develop. Perhaps we should have waited until we had actual designs of what buildings will look like, their actual height and location but I still think it was right to begin a dialogue well in advance of that stage.
Doing so has enabled us to listen to concerns raised. For example, we have told our architects that they are to rethink the assumption in the Master Plan that some of the tallest buildings would be situated at the ‘back’ rather than along the Ipswich Road. Following our recent meetings I have now also asked for different options for transport on the site, rather than what has become known as the ‘ring road’ around the edge of the site.
As you rightly point out, the Master Plan is not in any way the actual ‘design’ for the campus. You are quite right to say that you have not been given what you need to assess the actual impact of what we propose. This is genuinely because we do not have those designs at this stage. We are at the stage in the process where we have now engaged architects and they are working on turning the Master Plan into actual designs from which you will be able to see precise heights, building positions, proposed use for each building. The Master Plan is simply a requirement to gain Outline Planning permission by setting out the absolute maximum extent of where we may build – in terms of density, closeness to the edge of the site and height (set out in the Design and Access Statement and Parameter Plan). I cannot stress enough that we have no intention of either building to all of these maximums (even if we were to gain the permission to do so), nor in any way to the style, shape or design of the pictures or model that we created to demonstrate the Master Plan.
I can assure you that we will share the designs as soon as we have agreed them with the architects and will present them, together with demonstrations of the actual views from the different positions of residents’ homes as part of a full further stage of consultation. I suspect this to be later this year, probably in the early Autumn. We will not be applying for Planning Permission based on these designs until the end of 2008 or early 2009..
Turning to the specific points that you raised in your letter:
Reliability of funding
You raised the concern that we are only at this stage applying for funding for Phase 1 of the project and you understandably raise the possibility that we will have a ‘half completed’ redevelopment – particularly as we are redeveloping the ‘two ends’ of the campus first. We would certainly have preferred to submit one application for capital grant funding from the LSC. However, a combination of the scale of the project and their rules require us to split the project into phases, each of which would require a separate funding application. As such we are in the process of preparing our Application in Principle to secure funding for Phase 1. This has nothing to do with the announced demise of the LSC in three years time. The Government has now announced that for the next three years the FE capital investment programme will continue to be administered by the LSC and that thereafter the main FE capital investment programme will be distributed via the new Skills Funding Agency who will be responsible for approving capital bids for FE Colleges. We have been clearly advised by DIUS that we should see no practical change as a result of this moving of responsibility. There is to be no reduction in the national capital budget for rebuilding FE institutions and it is simply a case of applying to a different quango. The Governors and I are committed to the redevelopment of the whole campus and our discussions with the LSC lead me to have confidence that there is support for our campus-wide proposals.
Student numbers
There are a number of new policy initiatives from the Government that will impact on our student numbers. The education leaving age is set to rise in 2013 from 16 to 18. There will be 17 new Diplomas introduced over the next three years, potentially meaning a substantial rise in the number of 14-16 year olds at City College (where they are likely to come for at least one or two days a week, alongside their own school, to access the facilities necessary for the teaching of many aspects of the Diplomas). The College is also part of the drive to meet a range of new national targets on skills, including the numbers of adults with Level 2 and 3 qualifications which will again see a rise in adult learners in coming years. The government has announced a very large expansion in apprenticeships, many of which will see apprentices coming to the College for a day or more a week. Finally, the housing growth set for Norwich is over 30,000 new homes leading to an increase in student numbers. Given all of these factors which collectively evidence a very substantial possible/latent demand for additional student places at the college, we have taken a considered view on overall growth in numbers.
Traffic and parking
Within the outline planning application a detailed traffic survey has been carried out and submitted to Norwich City Council. On-site parking during Phase 1 will be limited due to the loss of both the staff car park to the North and the student car park to the South; it should be noted that the new car park is currently planned for completion at the end of Phase 1 (2012). Options to provide off-site parking during this time are being reviewed but no agreements have been made to date. A detailed Transport Assessment was undertaken and has been submitted to Norwich City Council as part of the planning application. The Transport Assessment included an appraisal of current traffic levels both within the College campus and on the adjoining roads. This appraisal was based on traffic surveys that were undertaken at the College on Tuesday 11 December 2007 between 0700 and 2200. The surveys included multi-modal surveys at all College accesses (vehicular and pedestrian) and classified vehicle turning counts at the Ipswich Road/Town Close Road junction. In addition, an automatic traffic counter (ATC) was installed on Ipswich Road for a period of a week around the date of the other surveys.
The Master Plan study identified the need for an internal access road to serve the development. The current proposals allow for this access road to have a typical kerb to kerb width of 6.0 to 7.0 metres.
The issue of whether this road needs to be one-way or two-way will be subject to further study during the detailed design stage of the project, which will consider the impact on the Ipswich Road. The Transport Assessment does not specifically address the issue of buses and coaches using the access road, however, the area indicated on the Parameter Plans for access and parking infrastructure would allow for a larger road width (if this is considered necessary) which means that these vehicles could be safely accommodated if required.
On-site parking will be limited during Phase 1 due to the loss of both the staff car park to the north and the student car park to the south. The College is exploring a number of options for providing car parking during this phase of the development, however, no agreements have been made to date. It should be noted that the new car park is currently planned for completion at the end of Phase 1 (2012).
Regarding the parking of buses and coaches to the West side of Ipswich Road north of Hornor Close I have investigated and this appears to be a ‘Bus Layover Bay’ where any bus operator can park for a maximum 30 minute stay.
Buildings
The number of buildings is not yet known. Page 62 of the Outline Planning application explains the extent of our knowledge in this area at this time. I will know more when more detailed architectural plans have been developed. The use of the building adjacent to the Car park could range from an energy centre to a warehouse; it should be noted that we are seeking other options on situating the energy centre within the building envelope of either plots to the North or South. The main use of the road-way will be for access to the car park, the drop-off/pick-up area and also for deliveries to the College; access and egress will be from Ipswich Road as indicated in our Outline Planning application. Although the PPG indicates that a greater number of parking spaces should be provided the College has committed to maintain the numbers in the Outline Planning application. This is due to the limitations of the campus but genuinely a commitment to the environment. The College has a Green Travel Plan, submitted as part of the planning application, which sets out the policy of the College. The purpose of seeking Outline Planning permission is to provide the College with some certainty while plans develop.
Neighbourhood studies
As I advised in my previous letter, a number of surveys have been conducted as part of the planning application including Ecology, Arboricultural, Flood Risk, Geo-Environmental, Sustainability and Transport Assessment. Further and more detailed studies will need to be carried out as part of our detailed planning application which comes later in the process.
A screening letter was sent to Norwich City Council planners to enable them to assess whether there was a need to conduct an environmental impact assessment. The City Council has subsequently confirmed that the College does not need to conduct such a survey. However, the College did commission a desk study resulting in a Geo-environmental report which was submitted as part of the planning application. As the project progresses more detailed site surveys will be carried out and appropriate measures taken.
Tree Preservation
A detailed tree survey was undertaken and submitted as part of the planning application. The council’s Tree protection Officer was consulted on the survey and mitigation measures before the application was submitted.
Timetable
The outline planning application was validated by the Council on 19 March 2008 and they have advised that to meet their government target of dealing with major applications a decision is due by 18 June. Detailed planning applications for the first buildings at the Northern & Southern ends of the campus along with a car park and building adjacent to the new car park are planned to be submitted early in 2009 and will involve a further round of public consultation in advance of that
Architects
To date the project has completed the Materplanning Stage and the Outline Planning Stage (submission of) and is currently in the Application in Principle Stage. One design team led by Aukett Fitzroy Robinson were commissioned for the Masterplanning and outline planning stages and this commission is now complete. A new commission competed under the Official Journal of the European Union was awarded to a new design, Building Design Partnership, to take the project forward. The consultant project team is also augmented by a Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Construction and Design Management Coordinator, and Town and Country Planner. These appointments will be further enhanced with specialist support as and when needed. These appointments are not extraordinary for a scheme of this nature or size and have been amassed to ensure that the College has the right level of support and advice in progression of its plans. Much of this team will be taken through the whole project. In terms of legal support the project team has only one consultant legal team working on the scheme providing legal advice as necessary.
Public Consultation
Letters to those who forwarded a feedback form were sent out on 28th February. Subsequently, a Newsletter on the proposals was delivered to households in the area on 11th April and also separately sent on 15th April to those who forwarded a feedback form. Also, a letter was delivered to Cecil Road residents concerning separate plans for a new building at the back of the existing Thetford Building.
Relocation
Finally, you raise the possible relocation of the College to a ‘greenfield site’. Even if one were available, would be difficult to justify in planning terms. The thrust of government policy is for the reuse of brownfield sites and to relocate developments in sustainable locations where there is high quality access by means other than the private car. If the college were to relocate then the current site would need to be redeveloped in such a way as to maximise its value to offset the cost of a new site. This would almost certainly be for housing. Given the size of the site (some 7.7 hectares) this could reasonably be expected to accommodate well in excess of 400 units (with at least some of this in apartment blocks of a similar height to that proposed in the outline application), given its proximity to the city centre. The traffic generation, construction issues etc being raised in connection with the college proposals would all be present in such an eventuality.
In conclusion, I do understand and acknowledge the concerns of residents. As I have said, I accept that the pictures and blocking model of the Master Plan caused unnecessary and added worry as they have been interpreted as representing the scale and even design of how the College will look post redevelopment. That will not be the case. As soon as we are in a position to share actual designs of buildings, their precise location, size, the views from local houses and the proposed use of each building we will do so, and consult properly with residents on the proposals. We are not at that stage yet.
However, in the interim, I will continue to listen to the concerns of residents, have an open door to discussing those concerns and ensure that our architects are aware of the specific issues that it may be possible to address in the design process. As I have said, we have already done so in relation to the pushing of the maximum heights of buildings to the Ipswich Road side of the campus (a change from the masterplan) and I am now looking at different options in terms of vehicles on the site. I will continue to do all I can to ensure we take all practical steps to meet the concerns of residents without compromising the needs of our future students and the education and skills needs of our wider community in Norwich.
Yours sincerely
Dick Palmer
Principal
No comments:
Post a Comment