United Learning Walthamstow Primary

Academy

Paper for London Borough of Waltham

Forest Planning Department

Validation of site location

17 November 2015

13 November 2015

UL Walthamstow Primary Academy 17 November 2015

Document Control

Version History

Date Editor Version Status Reason for change

13.11.15 RL 1.00 DRAFT Issued for Review

17.11.15 RL 1.01 FINAL Comments added, for submission.

18.11.15 RL 1.02 ISSUE Final edit for submission

Contents Document Control ........................................................................................................................... 2

Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 2

1. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 3

2. Location of school .................................................................................................................... 3

3. Financial and Programme implications ................................................................................... 4

4. Other planning considerations................................................................................................. 5

5. Proposals to mitigate effects of preferred location.................................................................. 5

6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 7

Appendix 1. ..................................................................................................................................... 8

UL Walthamstow Primary Academy 17 November 2015

1. Executive Summary

The new Walthamstow Primary Academy was proposed by the United Learning Trust (ULT)

and the existing Walthamstow Academy. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) have agreed

to fund the project, to partially meet the need for additional primary school places in the

London Borough of Waltham Forest. The EFA’s funding approval is based on the permanent

site, for the new primary school, being developed on land adjacent to the existing academy, the previous CLC.

To meet the need for additional primary school places, the Walthamstow Primary Academy

opened in September and currently has 37 children on role, in temporary accommodation.

The temporary site was intended to house the children for one academic year only, these

children need a permanent school building. The permanent building was due to be open for

September 2016, but this opening date is now at risk of not being met.

There are two different air quality objectives:

1. The one hour objective – this states there should not be exposure to high levels of

Nitrogen Dioxide for more than one hour at a time. This objective cannot be exceeded

more than 18 times in one year. The objective is being met as the pupils will not be

outside for more than one hour at a time.

2. The long term objective – this states an individual should not be present at a location

of high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide, for more than 6 months in a year i.e. 50% of the

time. Pupils are at school for 1,187.50 hours in a year. Total hours in a year are 8,760.

Pupils will therefore be in this location for 14% of the year, well below the 50%. For

the majority of the time pupils will be inside exposed to filtered air and not exposed to the toxins.

The design of the new Walthamstow Primary Academy incorporates a number of measures to mitigate the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide present at this location. These include:

The building being sealed with no openable windows

Air entering the building will be filtered to remove the Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

Play areas are to the rear of the building, where concentrations of NO2 are less

Pupils will have limited time outdoors.

Pupils at this school will actually experience much cleaner air, whilst inside the building, due

to the air filtration systems being installed. The indoor Air Quality Filtration System being

used is designed as a mitigation method to bring pollutant levels below the Air Quality Objective Concentrations as defined by Local Authorities.

This paper aims to establish the reasons for the siting of the new primary school and the

proposals to mitigate the negative effects of this location. The following information should

be read in conjunction with the information previously submitted, as part of planning

application number 150505/FUL, the latest response being dated 28 October 2015.

2. Location of school

UL Walthamstow Primary Academy 17 November 2015

While both academies are run by United Learning and there will be an expectation that the

children move, for their formal education, from one to the other, the reality is that they are

two very distinct entities. Each will have its own accountability for performance and each will

have its own leadership and governance arrangements. This separateness must be reflected

in the area being leased to the primary academy, so there are clear lines of responsibility for

the maintenance, security and safeguarding of their respective estates. This should be arranged so as not to disadvantage the existing arrangements of the secondary academy.

It was within this context that the decision to build the primary academy within the demise of

the CLC was made. This area has never been part of the secondary academy’s estate

(having been leased back to the LA) and so the build could take place there with few adverse consequences for the existing academy.

The idea of building the primary academy elsewhere on the secondary academy’s campus

has been considered and discussed at length. However, all other locations were deemed to

disadvantage the academy in some way e.g. by restricting the amount of grassed area for

sports and recreation behind the academy or removing the academy’s MUGA and so

impinging on the ability of the academy to deliver a broad and accessible PE/Sports

curriculum as well as enrichment activities and community use provision. It has been

suggested the MUGA could be moved to the proposed site of the primary school, the CLC

site. This ‘site swap’ would result in users of the MUGA being exposed to the poor quality air whilst taking physical exercise.

The diagram in Appendix 1 shows a contour map of the concentrations of Nitrogen Dioxide,

over the site. This contour map indicates the area of the existing MUGA is still within an area which exceeds 40 ug/m3.

The idea of moving the primary school site back slightly, to a position over the existing drop-

off zone/car park area and then putting this where the CLC building currently sits, has been

considered. This proposal would result in the secondary academy losing the adjacency of

the drop-off/car park zone as this is separated from it by the primary academy. The visual

link, to the main entrance of the academy, would also be lost. Siting the primary school on

the existing drop off area would result in the complete loss of a drop off area for the duration

of the project. The replacement drop off area could not be constructed until project completion, due to access constraints.

The reason for re-siting the proposed school on the existing MUGA or drop off area, is to increase air quality. This desired outcome would not be achieved for either site as they both have levels of nitrogen dioxide above the 38ug/m3 level. The rear of the current proposed site, where pupils will have access to the outside, has nitrogen dioxide levels of 42ug/m 3. The existing MUGA and drop of area have levels of 40ug/m3. (Refer to Appendix 1).

3. Financial and Programme implications

The suggestion to re-site the primary school elsewhere on the existing academy site has

financial and programme implications. Both suggestions would result in additional

expenditure including replacing the ‘built on’ facility. There is already a significant additional

expenditure added to the project as a result of including the air filtration system.

A change of site at this stage would result in a significant delay, severely jeopardising the completion of the project and the ability of the school to have occupation of the new building (albeit partial) in September 2016. Delay to the project would result in the current pupils remaining in temporary accommodation (subject to the extension of planning approval). This is not an ideal outcome, not least because there is no means of mechanical ventilation in the temporary buildings. Further delays to the project will result in additional temporary

UL Walthamstow Primary Academy 17 November 2015

accommodation being required for the new intake of pupils in September 2016.

4. Other planning considerations

Repositioning the new primary school on the existing drop off area could have other planning

implications. Highways have stated they are against a drop off area and would like a park

and stride policy to be adopted. The current drop off area is part of the existing academy and

primary school pupils can be discouraged from using it. Situating the drop off area in front of

the primary school would make it difficult to discourage use by the primary school children

and Highways may insist on there being no drop off area, causing a distinct disadvantage to the existing academy.

The loss of existing trees within the centre of the current drop-off may also be a planning

issue.

5. Proposals to mitigate effects of preferred location

The design of the proposed school has been considered carefully to ensure the effects of the air quality in this location, are kept to a minimum.

The school will be a sealed building with no opening windows. Ventilation is by

mechanical means and additional filters have been incorporated into the ventilation

system, to reduce pollutants in general and nitrogen dioxide in particular. Whilst in

the building, which will be the majority of the school day, pupils will have the benefit

of ‘clean’ air, which will very probably be the cleanest air they are likely to experience.

The pupils will have time outdoors at playtime and lunchtime, but these will be for

short periods of time, the maximum being 30 minutes at lunchtime. The school have

established a policy that the Early Years pupils will only have free flow outdoor access

for a maximum of 45 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon.

To minimise the effects of having doors open during these free flow times, air curtains

will be installed.

The building has been carefully orientated to ensure classrooms where pupils have

access to the outside, are at the rear of the site, where air quality is better. The outdoor play areas are also to the rear of the building

It is strongly believed that the occupiers of the proposed building will, on average, have far

better quality of air, due to the filtered air encountered, than if they were occupying a building

elsewhere in the locality with non-filtered air. This includes residential properties and any

other school they may have to attend if this school is not brought to fruition. Due to the

filtration systems being installed and other proposed mitigation measures, occupiers of this

school will have an annual average exposure to toxins, which is less than if they were not at this school, or if they were at another school in the area.

The secondary academy has agreed to allow the primary pupils to use the grassed areas,

and the AWP, for PE lessons when they are not using these. This will ensure that at times

when the pupils will be engaged in their most physical exertions, they will be doing so in air that is at acceptable levels of nitrogen dioxide.

UL Walthamstow Primary Academy 17 November 2015

UL Walthamstow Primary Academy 17 November 2015

6. Conclusion

A detailed analysis of the available locations on the site, taking into consideration all factors, has

resulted in the decision that the current proposed site is the best location. The main criteria is the

quality of air. The other feasible options (the existing MUGA and drop of area) do not increase

the air quality significantly and both are outside the acceptable level of 38ug/m3. The

considerable additional expenditure and disruption for a minimal increase in air quality is not justified.

As the existing academy and the new primary school are completely separate entities, the site of the CLC enables the two schools to keep their individual identities.

The proposed building incorporates robust measures to ensure the level of pollution encountered

by its occupants is far less than would otherwise be the case. Significant additional funding is

being allocated to this project to fund these measures.

The alternative sites would result in severe delays to the opening of the permanent school, leaving the existing pupils in temporary accommodation.

The concerns of the planning department are fully understood and with these concerns in mind stringent mitigation measures have been incorporated into the design of the school.

Taking all factors into consideration (safety and health of the pupils, the existing academy,

finance, programme and other planning issues) it is believed the proposed scheme is the best solution.

Appendix 1. Predicted Annual Mean Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Concentrations (ug/m3)