Heathcote Farm Academy Design and Access …...Fire Suppression Risk Assessment Design and Access...

Design & Access Statement

Heathcote Farm Academy

Land Adjacent to Harbury Lane

Warwick

Grid Reference: E 430750, N 263180

Prepared on Behalf of Warwickshire County Council April 2016 Rev -

Design and Access Heathcote Farm Academy

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PROPOSED PROVISION TWO FORM OF ENTRY PRIMARY SCHOOL

(HEATHCOTE FARM ACADEMY) AT LAND ADJACENT

TO HARBURY LANE, WARWICK

DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT

This Report has been prepared by Lungfish Architects Ltd partly based on information obtained from third party agencies. Lungfish Architects Ltd cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in this information.

This report has been prepared for the Client for their sole and specific use. No liability or warranty shall be extended to others in respect of the use of this report without the written agreement of Lungfish Architects Ltd.

Revision Author Checked Issued AJH RD 15-04-2016


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CONTENTS

Introduction Use Amount Layout Sustainability Scale Landscaping Appearance Access

APPENDICES

1. Fire Suppression Risk Assessment


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Introduction

This Design and Access Statement has been prepared to accompany the planning application for the provision of a Two Form of Entry Primary School. It has been prepared making reference to the CABE ‘Design and Access Statement’ guidance document. This statement incorporates the Design and Access statement for the site, plus the Sustainable Buildings Statement required by the adopted Local Plan and Supplementary Planning Document.

The site address is Heathcote Farm Academy, Land adjacent to Harbury Lane, Warwick. National Grid Reference is E 430750, N 263180.

The site is located on a new road to the south of Harbury Lane, with vehicular access from this road via spur onto the site. The school is situated to the south west of Royal Leamington Spa town centre. The development site area is approximately 2061msq (2.061ha) and the site in ownership by the applicant (Warwick County Council) is 25499msq (2.5499Ha).

The scheme has been developed in consideration of the National Planning Policy Framework and Saved Policies from the Warwick District Local Plan and preserved policies therein. The following Planning policies have been particularly considered in the development of the proposals:

Planning Policy DP1 Layout and Design

Planning Policy DP2 Amenity

Planning Policy DP 6 Access

Planning Policy DP 8 Parking

Planning Policy DP11 Sustainable drainage

Planning Policy DP12 Energy Efficiency

Planning Policy DP13 & DP14

Planning Policy DP15 Accessible & Inclusive

Planning Policy SC 4 Supporting Cycling & Recreation Facilities

Planning Policy SC 13 Open Space & Recreation Improvements

Supporting documents to the planning application noted within the Planning Statement.


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USE:

The site is currently designated as D1 Non Residential Institutional under the Use Classes Order 2015, under a recent Planning Application for a new housing scheme which incorporates the surrounding area.

The site itself is currently open farm land, however the area on the northern side of Harbury Lane is previously approved for residential development (Ref W/13/0607) and is nearing completion with the newly developed dwellings being occupied. As part of the council’s requirement to provide new housing and education spaces in close proximity to new housing estates within the County, the school’s capacity will be increased from a one form entry Primary School to a two form of entry school once the single form of entry role becomes full. The proposal includes the provision of 16 permanent classrooms (including nursery) to meet the requirements of new pupil numbers, plus hall, staff facilities and break out/group spaces.

The proposal will include the provision of an Early Years and Nursery class which will also include Morning and Evening club provision for children whom have working parents between 07.30Hrs and 18.00Hrs.

The existing school will be open from 08.30Hrs to 16.30 Hrs Monday to Friday and at varying times between 09.00Hrs and 17.00Hrs at weekends for community use. The School will offer a wide and varied after school activity schedule for pupils, including study support and homework clubs, which will finish at or around 18.00Hrs.

The School will employ 28 full time staff and 20 part time staff equating to 40 full time equivalents. Initially the school will cater for one form of entry, with 16 full time staff and 10 part time staff equating to 23 full time equivalents.


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Image of proposed building for Heathcote Farm Academy.

AMOUNT:

The area of the proposed buildings on the school site is approximately 2061m². The parking provision is proposed in accordance with Warwickshire County Council parking standards, and the Travel Plan included within this Application.

It is proposed that one football pitch will be provided for the new primary school for pupil use, with community use under consideration. All new pitches/ formal play spaces will be constructed in accordance with Sport England current guidelines. (The football pitch is suitable for under 11 to under 12 players).

The proposed school building is of predominantly single floor construction with low mono pitched roofs with a flat roof in the central area. A more dominant part of the building will house the school hall to the front of the site, with a conventional pitched roof which will be visually softened by the presence of the single storey classroom and staff areas to the front or the site, having sympathetic massing to the proposed buildings that are to bound the site.

The ground floor area includes 12No 56m² classrooms, 4No 62m² classrooms, a 180m² Hall, meal servery area 20m², a break out area, a library and circulation area with additional breakout space, a hygiene suite including access WC, group rooms, plus circulation, ancillary toilet/cloaks and staff/office spaces.


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Image showing main entrance to school.

LAYOUT:

The new school has been suitably located for existing service routes and access provided to the site. The low impact upon proposed neighbouring properties of this scheme has been considered as the most suitable location in line with Planning Policy DP6 Access. There are no loss of trees to the site.

The proposed layout of the building interior is designed to give flexibility of use whilst complying with current design guidance on classroom provision within Building Bulletin 103: Area Guidelines for mainstream schools, April 2014.

The school is accessed off a new un-named estate access road, through main entrance gates set into the perimeter fence. Once on the school site, access is gained via the main front doors into an entrance lobby which is externally protected from the elements by a canopy. Within this entrance lobby, provision is made for waiting with the inclusion of a seating area. Access control is provided to ensure safeguarding of pupils within the school building are not put at risk from members of the public gaining unwanted access to the site.

The entrance lobby leads on to the main circulation and breakout space. Off this the foundation, early years, plus key stage two classes can be accessed including group rooms (The first phase of the school will house all of the above and will be reconfigured to suit, upon construction of the second phase). Other rooms accessed directly off this area include an accessible WC, adult WCs, a store and the food preparation area.

The building will be naturally ventilated by use of opening windows, and is highly insulated to omit the need for comfort cooling. All classrooms have external windows giving a view to outside affording good levels of daylight and a fire exit door to outside within each class base area of the room. The layout of the building is such that classrooms are planned in pairs and children will share toilet and cloak facilities for ease of management and supervision.


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Roof lights are included in each of the classrooms to enhance the natural light afforded by perimeter windows. Group rooms which do not benefit from a perimeter window will also include roof lights for ventilation and daylighting.

The design for the school is accessible to those with disabilities, with level access and 970mm wide principal entrance doors to the building. The internal circulation doors are also accessible, in compliance with Building Regulations Approved Document Part M 2013.

The Primary School is intended to be accessed off the new estate road to the south of the site, it is proposed that parents wishing to drop children off at the proposed Primary School will use the new road infrastructure that bound the school site, as noted in the Travel Plan and Transport Statement.


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SUSTAINABILITY:

The new school building has been designed to meet the requirements of Warwick District Council’s Sustainable Buildings Supplementary Planning Document.

Design Evolution

Our environment has the ability to inspire and nurture us and as such there are no more significant buildings than the ones we use to learn. We spend our formative years in school and develop our social skills and learn about ourselves.

In the current economic climate there is a necessary focus on the need to ensure that investment in new school infrastructure is cost effective. So the onus is with designers to create learning environments that are inspiring, flexible, good value for money and low in carbon emissions.

Flexible, low carbon, cost effective design

We aim to produce designs of the very highest quality and we understand the imperative that ’good design’ should not mean ‘expensive design’. We are experienced in delivering and exceeding our client’s expectations, within their time and budgetary constraints. We use our knowledge and creativity to find additional value and efficiency in our designs.

We are working with our contractor partner to explore how using modern methods of construction and building intelligence modelling can create greater efficiencies in design, reduce costs in construction and operation, as well as reduce carbon production.

Design and Layout

The scheme has been positioned on the site to maximise available natural resources, sun path, site topography and location, whilst using the shape and massing of the building to good effect giving a light and naturally ventilated internal space. (See Building Orientation Diagram). The hall will also benefit from the proposed position on the site, which will profit from early morning sun, whilst being protected from afternoon heat gain by the protection afforded by the classroom block and pitched roof to the west.

The School hall is positioned to the south east aspect of the school building, acting as shading to the classrooms that will eventually be situated to the north, this will give good protection during the summer season to these areas. Classrooms are also naturally ventilated by use of opening windows and roof lights; solar shading is offered by the inclusion of blinds that can be manually adjusted.

The design includes the use of an air source heat pump for the heating of the building which will feed into an underfloor heating system.

The building has been designed to utilise structural insulated panels (SIPS), which will give the building a low thermal mass, allowing fast heating, but ensures that the heat generated will be retained as required. This approach has been successfully adopted on previous schemes, with the use of natural ventilation giving a useable and practical solution to increasing the energy efficiency of school buildings. The SIPs panels will be constructed from


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and utilise sustainable timber. (Which feature low embodied carbon to reduce the carbon footprint of the building during the construction phase).

The scheme also uses recyclable materials – aluminium standing seam roofing, aluminium window profiles, plaster board internal walls and concrete raft foundations etc.

Building Orientation Diagram.

Energy:

The 2013 edition of Part L of the Building Regulations has a requirement that all new buildings shall meet enhanced targets for reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Warwickshire County Council Energy Policy states that “10% of the energy demand of new buildings should be met by renewable sources”. This reduction in energy and CO2 emission is to be achieved by a combination of improved building construction and efficiency and the inclusion, and where appropriate the use of low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies.


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The reduction in building energy usage is to be achieved by optimising the use energy efficient products such as LED lighting combined with automatic lighting controls/daylight dimming and high efficiency plant. The introduction of natural daylighting within teaching spaces and improvements in building fabric U-value over and above the minimum requirements of building regulations.

The use of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) are often used in moderate climates, they use the difference in outdoor and indoor air temperatures to cool and heat the building. Air source heat pumps extract the heat in air, and use a fan to draw air over coils that extract energy. This energy is then transferred to a building and used as part of a heating supply.

This effect is however variable due to external air temperatures fluctuation both daily and seasonally. However, even when the outside temperature drops, an air source heat pump can still produce 2-3 times as much energy as they use to run, and are therefore to be utilised as part of the development in order to meet the carbon reduction requirements of Building Regulations and the Warwickshire County Council Energy Policy.

The school building design is naturally ventilated in line with BB103 area guidelines for a 2 FE Primary School, operated using a carbon dioxide detection ‘traffic light’ system.

Designed to an energy rated target of ‘A’. Designed to be naturally ventilated to avoid the need for air conditioning/heat pumps. Will provide 10% of predicted energy requirement on site. Will endeavour to achieve a 60% carbon reduction on existing current primary school

stock. Employ air source heat pumps providing better efficiencies than gas fired boilers.

There will be no requirement for gas on site, electricity offers a better coefficient of performance rate than gas.

Underfloor heating, which operates at low temperatures. Highly efficient lighting provision with occupancy and daylight control.


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Sustainable design features of Heathcote Primary School.

Flooding and climate change

The design is intended to utilise sustainable drainage. Site surveys and percolation tests are currently underway to establish the suitability of the site to use soakaway drainage principles. If the tests prove in favour of soakaways to dispose of rainwater/surface water from the development these will be located beneath the soft play sports pitch on the new development site. In the event that attenuation will be required, the storage will be located beneath the hard play area, with the use of controlled release into local surface water sewerage systems, in full compliance with the local water supplier’s regulations.

There is also a balancing pond that is part of the overall development which has been sized to suit the surface water run-off from the school.

The use of water butts will also be included as an educational tool for the irrigation of the panted areas, which also will both promote the re use of rainwater and ensure water is actively conserved within the new development.

The intention is to utilise the renewable energy features stated in this Design and Access Statement, but at this stage detailed calculations are unavailable. The design team will be in


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a position to provide these as the scheme moves forward, and would intend to supply these by Planning Condition, in the event of the Application gaining approval.

Fire and life safety

The scheme has been designed in full accordance with Building Bulletin 100; Design for fire safety in schools, and Part B of the Building Regulations, Approved Documents, with compliant fire alarms, smoke detection and means of escape. The provision of a sprinkler system has been designed out of the scheme, by use of the fire suppression risk assessment within Appendix 1 of this document.

SCALE:

The scale of the proposed building is designed to suit the needs of the use for which it is intended, following guidance from current legislation and the context of the wider development.

The new School provision is of single storey construction with low angled mono pitched roofs and the inclusion of a small more dominant dual pitch block to the front of the site. The single storey construction will have a maximum height of 6.1m above existing ground level. The highest part of the building will have a maximum height of 6.5m above existing ground level.

Proposed School Approx. 71m x 65m (Maximum) ‘L’ shape

3.9m Eaves Height (Hall area pitched roof)

6.5m Ridge Height (Hall area pitched roof)

3.3m Eaves Height (single storey block pitched roof)

6.1m Ridge Height (single storey block pitched roof)

Area – 2061msq


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LANDSCAPING:

The school will have level access for all in accordance with Part M of the Building Regulations 2013.

Boundary treatment will be 2.4 metre high mesh fencing, coloured to blend with the locality. To the north of the site there is a habitat area proposed, including a nature trail and suitable planting.

Informal hard play space will be provided to north and north east of the site. The main entrance will be picked out and highlighted by the use of contrasting treatment to the hard surfacing.

A marked out basketball pitch will be provided to ensure that year round sports will be available for all pupils. A football pitch suitable for under 12 year old children is also proposed to the soft landscaped areas to the west of the site. Within the design it is intended to adopt sustainable drainage principles, by utilising soakaways (subject to a full ground investigation) or attenuation (utilising storage to ponds that are provided off site as part of the overall development), in full compliance with current sustainable drainage design principles.

Screen planting is proposed to critical areas, a feature art mound and amphitheatre also proposed in the Key Stage 2 Play space as an outside classroom. Rubber crumb play surface is to be utilised within the early years out door space around any play equipment.

Image of proposed view from north of site.


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APPEARANCE:

The appearance of the new building will be in keeping with the proposed new housing development that is adjacent to the site to all aspects, other than the north (Which is bounded by Harbury Lane). The walls will be constructed utilising a brickwork plinth, and a rendered insulation above which is through-coloured. Contrast will be created by the use of alternative materials including full panels of brickwork and large glazed panels to give excellent levels of daylight. The roof will be pitched to most elevations of the building, using standing seam aluminium. Flat roof areas will be constructed using high performance single ply membrane roofing.

External walls are of a rendered insulated composite construction coloured a neutral tone (exact colour reference to be confirmed), with brick slip feature cladding around the entrance to highlight the access point. The proposed use of brick slips in the elevation treatment is to tie the new school into the general appearance of the existing buildings on the wider development. The plinth for the building will be in brickwork to give a solid visual line below any render. Polyester powder coated aluminium windows will be utilised, coloured grey, colour to be confirmed.

The elevation treatment is intended to compliment the overall appearance of the locality, as viewed from the new estate roads, and from other publicly visible aspects including Harbury Lane. The external pitched roof is of aluminium standing seam construction, having an upper skin of a rolled stucco embossed aluminium. The roof has a gentle 10 degree pitch, with roof lights included. It is also proposed to include areas of flat roof to punctuate the building and offer visual contrast.

Floor finishes comprise of a homogenous vinyl and carpet, colours to be agreed, with concrete/screeded ground floors including, HCFC-free, insulation with underfloor heating. Internal walls have a painted finish. The suspended ceilings are self-finish. Window and external door frames will be polyester powder coated with laminated inner pane and toughened outer pane. Internal doors will be laminate finished with kick plates and finger guards.

Rainwater goods (gutters and down pipes) will be exposed aluminium positioned at corners of the building to the base of roof falls.


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ACCESS:

End use;

There are no known public rights of way across the site.

The new school site will be accessed by vehicle from the new estate road to the south of the site.

Pedestrians will also access the site from this route, with a dedicated access through double gates to the early years’ facility and the rest of the site ensuring that pupils are segregated from vehicular traffic. Routes onto the site will be locked shut in order to secure the site during school hours. Means of escape from the school building will be incorporated across the new site to ensure the safety of all site users in the event of a fire.

The new School is designed in full accordance with the Approved Document Part M, allowing for level access, an accessible WCs and changing rooms.

All proposals will be approved by the WCC Health and Safety Section before commencement of work on site.

Construction phase;

The contractor has requested that access to the site be from the new road running north to south, leaving the developer provided access free during the construction period with all site traffic following this route, as this localises the build to the east of the site away from the landscaped areas. All storage will be located within the site compound, adjacent to the construction site.

All pedestrian routes will be maintained where possible during the work and temporary alternative routes will be constructed where found necessary. Site traffic and deliveries will be restricted within the times as set out in WCC Health and Safety policy.

The site compound will also incorporate all materials storage plus all health and welfare facilities for contractor’s staff.

Site fencing will be erected as per Warwickshire County Council Health and Safety requirements.

All areas disturbed by the site compound and temporary access will be made good upon completion and returned to their prior condition where required.


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APPENDIX 1; Fire Suppression Risk Assessment


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Heathcote Farm Academy Design and Access …...Fire Suppression Risk Assessment Design and Access...

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