Object

Representation ID: 56021

Received: 05/10/2020

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: Barton Willmore

Draft Policy 14 requires the on-site provision of a range of social and community infrastructure, including three primary schools and safeguarded land for a secondary school.

The Education Topic Paper (2020) provides a range of scenario modelling in terms of child yield and the corresponding land take for schools. Scenario Options 1-5 identify that the quantum of residential development proposed at NEC would generate between 2,200 and 3,675 primary age children (10.5-17.5 forms of entry). The corresponding secondary school children generated are within a range of 1,375-2,297 students (9.2-15.3 forms of entry).

Reflecting on the proposed approach the Topic Paper states (page 16):

“At present, the masterplan shows the location of two primary schools and one co-located with a secondary school. At this stage, the Council considers the location of these schools to be appropriate. The provision of 3 sites would cater for the lower end of the range of provision required based on scenarios 1-5 above. A maximum of 5 sites may be required.”

Scenario Option 6 has been followed by the Councils in the proposed approach to school provision; this is predicated on a dwelling mix that includes a high proportion of 1 and 2 bedroom homes, therefore reducing the number of school children generated to 1,348 primary (6.4 forms of entry) and 608 secondary (4.1 forms of entry). The corresponding land take is calculated to be 7.6 ha for primary and “N/A” for secondary. We note, additionally, that Scenario 6 includes the generation of 1,655 early years aged children (of which 927 would be eligible for funded provision). Whilst this is stated as being “factored into Primary School” (tables on page 18), the supporting text states that provision within the primary schools (calculated at 7.6ha) will not provide for the 927 early years children and therefore “complimentary private provision will also be required”.

Whilst the preferred option is for off-site provision of secondary school provision, the Topic Paper identifies a number of key uncertainties regarding this approach. The opening of Cambridge City Free School and Darwin Green as off-site options are both dependent upon funding agreements. In addition, there is strong community support to include a secondary school within NEC. We note that secondary schools of between 7 and 10-form entry require a land take of between 7.7-10.6ha. We have not found any evidence regarding the size of the safeguarded site at NEC. We have concerns that the size of site safeguarded at NEC is inadequate to allow for a secondary school to be developed in the future to meet the County Council’s standards, should on-site provision be required. Alongside the clear requirement for all school sports pitches to be provided on-site, we are of the view that all of the required and safeguarded school sites at NEC should be sized to the County Council’s expected standards. We cannot find any evidence of County Council support for reduced site sizes or multi-storey school buildings.

Whilst there may be examples of the successful co-location of primary and secondary schools in other neighbourhoods (e.g. Northstowe and Chatteris), there is no clear strategy set out for NEC regarding what the safeguarded site will be used for if it is not needed for school use.