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The Chairman welcomed those present to the site visit.
The Senior Planning Officer reiterated the salient areas of the planning application and the reasons for the site visit. The Senior Planning Officer reported that local residents were welcome to submit written representations via the planning portal on the website or by letter which would be reported to Committee when the application was considered on Wednesday, 18 October 2017.
Local residents explained their concerns regarding the proposed access to the site, drop off/collection area and car park which would lead to traffic chaos for residents at the school start and finish times. They asked if the applicant would consider utilising another entrance to the site.
The Chairman reported that all residential areas across the Borough which were situated in close proximity to a school experienced similar traffic problems.
Local residents were concerned that the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) would not be enforced by the Council's Civil Enforcement Officers. Mr Gilder reported that there would be no access to the school through the application site as the access would be gated and that the drop off/collection area would be covered by the TRO.
Local residents asked for confirmation that the drop off/pick up area would be large enough to accommodate coaches. The Senior Planning Officer reiterated that the Highways Agency had raised no objections to the proposed access as it met the current standards laid out in the National Planning Policy Framework. Local residents were also concerned regarding the extra traffic which would have to enter/leave East Anglian Way onto Church Road.
As a result of hearing the resident's concerns regarding the access, Mr Gilder proposed that he contact NCC Higways to arrange further talks regarding an alternative access to the site. Mr Gilder would invite representatives from the Diocese & Planning to the meeting. He suggested investigating the possibility of an emergency access from Columb Road to the south, where it was proposed to have a footpath & cycle way and a permanent access on to Church Lane with no vehicular link to East Anglian Way. The possibility of a cul-de-sac using the existing access point to serve a reduced volume of traffic as part of a car park scheme for the school.
Mr Gilder reported that to allow for further discussions, he requested that the application be deferred from 18 October 2017 to Wednesday, 15 November 2017.
RESOLVED:
That consideration of application number 06/17/0247/F be deferred until the Development Control Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 15 November 2017 at 18:30, in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Great Yarmouth.