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Plans for homes on part of KES playing fields in Stratford look set for green light




UPDATED plans submitted by King Edward VI School to build six houses on a strip of land in Manor Road, Stratford, look set for approval.

Planning officers have recommended that Stratford District Council’s planning committee agree the proposals when they meet on Wednesday, 26th October.

The school wants to make huge improvements to its sports facilities, expected to cost in excess of £1million, including the installation of a new floodlit artificial pitch and a modernised pavilion.

The King Edward VI sports field in Manor Road. Photo: Mark Williamson. M20/10/20/7851. (60153554)
The King Edward VI sports field in Manor Road. Photo: Mark Williamson. M20/10/20/7851. (60153554)

However, part of the scheme involves developing a strip of land which runs alongside Manor Road into six houses. That development will help to fund the wider improvements, but has proved contentious with 89 members of the public objecting the original proposal.

The district council rejected the original planning application, a decision the school appealed. That appeal failed but the planning inspectorate acknowledged the significant benefits of the project and found there was no reason it could not take place with some minor adjustment to the plans.

Ultimately, the appeal failed on the grounds that the houses would affect the sight lines of an adjacent property and that there was not enough justification for removing five trees.

There were also concerns over the effect on the setting of the Grade II-listed pavilion and on highway safety.

The inspector added in his decision notice: “To protect the character and appearance, the gate details should be approved. For this reason too, the necessary works to protect the trees should also be established, and this needs to be a ‘pre-commencement’ condition as such matters are fundamental to how the development progresses.

“In the interests of highway safety, the access should be laid out before use, gates should open inwards into the site and sight lines provided, while the redesign of the cricket pitch is also required to ensure the development results in no loss of sports facility.”

KES revised its planning application, which is backed by a petition signed by 1,546 people, and submitted it earlier this year. The plan remains for six detached dwellings and two access points, with the school’s vision being the sale of the land paving the way for improvements to be made to the sports field.

The school says its proposals would create better sports facilities for the school, as well as the Stratford community, helping to address a situation that sees some clubs in town forced to travel out of the area to play ‘home’ matches.

KES headmaster Bennet Carr, speaking after the school re-submitted its planning application in April, said: “We were pleased that the inspector acknowledged the significant benefits that our plans will have for the community and the school, and concluded that, with some adjustments, there was no reason that the scheme could not be delivered.

“The revised plans address directly the changes recommended by the inspector and we hope that we will now, finally, be able to implement our ambitious plans to provide the sporting facilities that are so desperately needed, and which have such widespread public support.”

Mark Reynolds, chairman of Stratford Hockey Club and a supporter of the plans, said this week: “It is to be hoped that the planning committee confirms the district council’s approval of this final step in securing the all-weather sports pitch at Manor Road that the town so desperately needs.

“Our growing club is now playing ‘home’ matches on a weekly basis at hired facilities in the centre of Warwick and despite our excellent and long-standing partnership with Stratford School, there is a proven and increasing need for more than a single all-weather pitch in Stratford.

“This would unlock what will be a superb addition to the town’s sporting facilities and deliver a vital resource for sport within Stratford.”

The plans are not without criticism, though.

Ward member Cllr Kate Rolfe, who objected the original scheme, maintained her concerns over “insufficient parking” at the site and the design of the houses “being out of character with the whole of Manor Road”.

She added: “This development will result in the loss of 10/15 parking spaces, spaces which are so important to users of St Peter’s Mission in Manor Road who have no parking. There is no visitor parking, meaning visitors are likely to use up the depleted spaces on the road.

“There is a huge risk to roots and canopies of all [protected] trees caused by construction traffic. No amount of mitigation is going to protect these important tress, which are an integral part of the character of Manor Road.

“The large four-bedroom houses are out of character with the rest of Manor Road and have an overbearing dominant appearance to the surrounding area.

“The harm does not outweigh the benefits, particularly as there are plans to expand sport facilities nearby at [Stratford] Sports Club, the rugby club and the football [club].”

Stratford Town Council also objected the proposals as they were unconvinced trees will be suitably safeguarded during construction.

The authority was also concerned about the lack of spaces for the four-bedroom houses, the reduction of on-street parking, as well as the loss of amenity space.

There has also been 67 letters of objection from people who fear for the loss of open green space, lack of and reduction in parking,



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