Plans to convert former Peterborough pub into new school building recommended despite opposition

The city council bought the former Silver Jubilee pub in Heltwate, Bretton, for £650,000 earlier this year in order to allow the “very constrained” Heltwate School to increase in space, with the cramped school having to reduce class sizes.

The Silver Jubilee closed several years ago and since then has been a target for anti-social behaviour, including arson attacks, while residents have complained that it is an eyesore.

Under the plans, a new two-storey building for early years pupils at the special school would be built on an area of designated public open space, with a new footpath and parking area proposed.

The council’s planning committee will consider the application on Tuesday, November 24, with the authority’s planning department having recommended it for approval despite a number of objections, including from two of its own officers, Bretton Parish Council and residents.

Issues highlighted include a loss of public space and trees and the re-location of a basketball court.

Why the building is needed

The mixed special school currently offers education for pupils aged 4-19 years. It is situated over two sites - the main site in Bretton which is home to Reception to Key Stage 3 pupils, and Heltwate St George’s in Lawn Avenue where Key Stage 4 and post-16 students are based.

The school currently caters for 206 pupils aged 4-19 who have moderate and severe learning difficulties, as well as 90 full-time staff.

In 2017, it was re-designated as a school for only severe learning difficulties with complex needs.

This means as the older, moderate learning difficulty children leave in Year 11 they are replaced with children with severe learning needs.

The planning application states that the school has a need for increased hygiene and toilet facilities, specialist therapeutic curriculum space and additional space to accommodate an increase in the volume of mobility equipment, wheelchairs and standing frames.

It adds: “These complex needs make ordinary school activities unmanageable in the main school site with only one hall space and pressure on car parking and access to the school.

“One hundred per cent of pupils have an Educational Health and Care Plan and two-thirds of our pupils are on the autistic spectrum. They need appropriate accommodation to enable them to have their medical, personal care and social and emotional needs met.”

It had been proposed in 2017 to relocate Heltwate to a new site in Newark Road, however, the project had to be cancelled in February 2018 due to the financial collapse of contractors Carillion.

Currently, the school only has one hall which is oversubscribed, while there are also insufficient classroom sizes.

Mobile classrooms were provided to the school in September 2016 and February 2020 which provided the additional space required but took up outdoor sports, play and sensory space.

What is being proposed

The application is for a detached two-storey building for early years provision.

Other changes would include a new multiple use games area (MUGA) for the pupils, existing public open space converted to school playing fields, a public footpath linking Heltwate to Pyhill and an additional 25 parking spaces.

If the proposals are approved, the new building will cater for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 pupils, while the main site will provide for Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils.

Objections and council response

. Bretton Parish Council is objecting to the loss of basketball courts and the loss of the footpath to the side of the site which it says will “lead to pedestrians having to walk along the road to a busy roundabout and Bretton Way”.

. The council’s tree officer said only 40 trees will be replaced out of the 102 required, and only 30 on site, adding: “The proposed tree mitigation measures are unacceptable. There is a clear opportunity to plant considerably more trees on this site.”

. The council’s open space officer stated: “The proposed design would result in the loss of 44 mature trees with wholly inadequate mitigation measures.”

. Labour councillor for Bretton Angus Ellis said he supported the application in principle, but that the scheme is “over the top and not sympathetic enough with the natural environment and local community”.

. There were 19 responses to the council from the public, of which 17 were objections. Further concerns which they raised included: an increase in traffic, parking and pollution concerns and a feeling that the new building is “out of keeping with the area”.

Two letters of support centred on removing the derelict pub, while Sport England is also in favour of the proposals, stating that they would “improve facilities for sport and physical activity for pupils”.

The council has made the following responses to the objections:

. Loss of public open space - There is said to be a surplus in Bretton which will largely remain even if the application is approved

. Loss of basketball court - The council said it has “committed to securing an alternative basketball court elsewhere within the immediate locality, likely within Bretton Park” which is nearby

. Traffic - There would be no extra pupils than there are currently and only one extra member of staff. Moreover, 25 off-street parking spaces would be created, as well as a dedicated and secure pick-up and drop-off facility

. Loss of trees - The council said the budget for the proposed development is already 70 per cent higher than the original allocation so there are no funds for extra tree planting, but the benefits of improving the school’s facilities outweighs the loss of trees.

Project timeline

If the application is approved works are expected to begin in May 2021 and be completed by July 2022.

Planning history

. In 2009, planning permission was sought for the construction of three, one-bedroom and 17, two-bedroom flats in two blocks, with the pub to be demolished. This was initially refused but overturned on appeal

. In 2017, planning permission was granted for 11, two-bedroom apartments with the pub to be retained. Planning permission for this expires on October 23, 2021.

. In 2018, a planning application was submitted to convert the use of the site to temporary storage, but this was withdrawn as it did not have support of the council’s planning department.