A show of hands at the AGM showed that a substantial majority of residents attending wanted to see separate planning applications for the Poly clinic and School.
A petition has now been started, and doors are being knocked this week in our area to ask for signatures. If you are missed out and wish to sign, please use the "comment" facility at the bottom of this message to add your name and address.
Many thanks for your support with this issue,
OADRA Committee
To: The Worshipful the Mayor and Councillors of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Re: Planning Applications to build a Polyclinic and a Primary School on the site of Surbiton Hospital
We, the undersigned residents of Surbiton, while acknowledging the need for additional provision of Primary School places in Surbiton, petition the Council to treat the Planning Applications for these two buildings as separate issues on the grounds that:
- A polyclinic and a school are two completely separate uses for the site, to be carried on in two completely separate buildings, each raising planning issues proper to itself
- The addition of a 446 pupil school to a polyclinic will lead to increased traffic movements and congestion in Oakhill and South Bank Terrace, contrary to Policy S13 of the Unitary Development Plan, First Alteration, and
- Will thereby adversely affect the amenity of local residents contrary to Policy H1 of the UDP.
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Friday, 1 October 2010
Agenda for AGM at 8pm Thursday 7th Oct at the Surbiton (New Life) Baptist Church in Langley Road
Draft agenda for AGM, 8 p.m. on Thursday 7th October 2010, at the Surbiton (New Life) Baptist Church in Langley Road. We aim to finish at 9.30pm.
Agenda
1. Introduction to the meeting & the NHS/Council representatives - 5 minutes 8.05 -8.10
2. Presentation and Q&A with the NHS/Council representatives - 30minutes 8.10-8.40
3. Introduction of interim committee and purpose of OADRA - 10 minutes 8.40-8.50
4. Financial position - 5 minutes 8.50-8.55
4. Election of Chairman/Vice Chairman/ Secretary/Treasurer/
Publicity/Webmaster/Road or Area Reps(some of whom would like
to serve on the committee - 20minutes 8.55-9.15
5. Areas of concern and actions for OADRA - 15minutes 9.15-9.30
- Surbiton Station maintenance
6. Meeting close and membership enrolment/subscriptions
Agenda
1. Introduction to the meeting & the NHS/Council representatives - 5 minutes 8.05 -8.10
2. Presentation and Q&A with the NHS/Council representatives - 30minutes 8.10-8.40
3. Introduction of interim committee and purpose of OADRA - 10 minutes 8.40-8.50
4. Financial position - 5 minutes 8.50-8.55
4. Election of Chairman/Vice Chairman/ Secretary/Treasurer/
Publicity/Webmaster/Road or Area Reps(some of whom would like
to serve on the committee - 20minutes 8.55-9.15
5. Areas of concern and actions for OADRA - 15minutes 9.15-9.30
- Surbiton Station maintenance
6. Meeting close and membership enrolment/subscriptions
INITIAL CONSTITUTION - DRAFT
OAKHILL AND DISTRICT RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
INITIAL CONSTITUTION
DRAFT
1. The Association shall be known initially as the Oakhill and District Residents’ Association (OADRA), although this name could change as the area covered by the Association is more clearly defined
2. Area covered initially shall be that area enclosed by Kingsdowne Road (odd numbers): Ewell Road (even numbers) down to and including South Terrace: the side of the railway track at the rear of Surbiton Station and Upper Brighton Road (even numbers). This area seems to share many common potential problems. If any of the areas specified (e.g. Kingsdowne Road) already have a RA, they shall be invited to be associated.
3. The Objectives of the Association is to be non party political representative of the collective interests and concerns of the residents of the area covered and to act as a focus of these interests to Local Councillors, the Borough Council, the London Assembly, the Police, Planning Inspectorate on planning appeals etc. It will attempt to liaise with other like minded Residents’ Associations on items of Borough wide interest.
4. Membership will be open to any current resident within the area, without any discrimination.
The Committee can invite people to be Associate Members if they are not resident in the area, but whose interests are bound up with the Association e.g shop owners and businesses along Ewell Road, schools.
5. Membership fees will be set at the AGM of the Association
6. Committee will be elected at the AGM of the Association and will consist of Chairman: Vice Chairman: Secretary (and if necessary Minutes Secretary): Treasurer: a Representative from each road or area (large block of flats) Other members may be co-opted as required by the Committee; for example it may be desirable to have a Web Site Manager.
The initial Committee will be those members who have expressed an interest in the formation of the Association
7. Meetings. The Association will aim to meet about every eight weeks. All members of the Association are invited to attend, speak and vote on matters arising. Notification of future meetings will be given at the first meeting of the Association, which will be deemed to be the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
The committee will meet on a regular basis to be determined.
Local Councillors and service people may be invited to attend these meetings, if it is deemed by the Committee that they can assist the Association.
8. Revised Constitution will be drawn up by the new committee following the first AGM to be approved at an EGM
9. Rules of Procedure. With the exception of changes to the Constitution, all decisions taken at any meeting will be by simple majority of votes of those present and entitled to vote, with the Chairman, who will not normally have a vote, having a casting vote in the case of a tied vote. All motions should have a proposer and seconder.
Amendments to the Constitution should be given to the Secretary of the Association at least 7 days before the AGM or EGM at which it is to be proposed. This should be circulated, ideally by e-mail to all members. Any amendment to the Constitution will require a 75% majority of those present and eligible to vote
10. Finances An account will be maintained on behalf of the Association at a bank/building society approved by the Committee. Signatories to the cheques will be the Treasurer and one of any three other members of the Committee approved by it. Complete records of accounts will be maintained by the Treasurer and will be available in time for the AGM. All monies raised by the Association will be used solely for the use of the Association and as approved by the Committee.
11. Dissolution may be resolved at a Special General Meeting of the Association called for by at least 20 members of the Association. If the Association is so dissolved any funds residing in the Association will be donated to a charitable organisation chosen at that meeting
February 2010
Feel free to add any comments or questions
INITIAL CONSTITUTION
DRAFT
1. The Association shall be known initially as the Oakhill and District Residents’ Association (OADRA), although this name could change as the area covered by the Association is more clearly defined
2. Area covered initially shall be that area enclosed by Kingsdowne Road (odd numbers): Ewell Road (even numbers) down to and including South Terrace: the side of the railway track at the rear of Surbiton Station and Upper Brighton Road (even numbers). This area seems to share many common potential problems. If any of the areas specified (e.g. Kingsdowne Road) already have a RA, they shall be invited to be associated.
3. The Objectives of the Association is to be non party political representative of the collective interests and concerns of the residents of the area covered and to act as a focus of these interests to Local Councillors, the Borough Council, the London Assembly, the Police, Planning Inspectorate on planning appeals etc. It will attempt to liaise with other like minded Residents’ Associations on items of Borough wide interest.
4. Membership will be open to any current resident within the area, without any discrimination.
The Committee can invite people to be Associate Members if they are not resident in the area, but whose interests are bound up with the Association e.g shop owners and businesses along Ewell Road, schools.
5. Membership fees will be set at the AGM of the Association
6. Committee will be elected at the AGM of the Association and will consist of Chairman: Vice Chairman: Secretary (and if necessary Minutes Secretary): Treasurer: a Representative from each road or area (large block of flats) Other members may be co-opted as required by the Committee; for example it may be desirable to have a Web Site Manager.
The initial Committee will be those members who have expressed an interest in the formation of the Association
7. Meetings. The Association will aim to meet about every eight weeks. All members of the Association are invited to attend, speak and vote on matters arising. Notification of future meetings will be given at the first meeting of the Association, which will be deemed to be the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
The committee will meet on a regular basis to be determined.
Local Councillors and service people may be invited to attend these meetings, if it is deemed by the Committee that they can assist the Association.
8. Revised Constitution will be drawn up by the new committee following the first AGM to be approved at an EGM
9. Rules of Procedure. With the exception of changes to the Constitution, all decisions taken at any meeting will be by simple majority of votes of those present and entitled to vote, with the Chairman, who will not normally have a vote, having a casting vote in the case of a tied vote. All motions should have a proposer and seconder.
Amendments to the Constitution should be given to the Secretary of the Association at least 7 days before the AGM or EGM at which it is to be proposed. This should be circulated, ideally by e-mail to all members. Any amendment to the Constitution will require a 75% majority of those present and eligible to vote
10. Finances An account will be maintained on behalf of the Association at a bank/building society approved by the Committee. Signatories to the cheques will be the Treasurer and one of any three other members of the Committee approved by it. Complete records of accounts will be maintained by the Treasurer and will be available in time for the AGM. All monies raised by the Association will be used solely for the use of the Association and as approved by the Committee.
11. Dissolution may be resolved at a Special General Meeting of the Association called for by at least 20 members of the Association. If the Association is so dissolved any funds residing in the Association will be donated to a charitable organisation chosen at that meeting
February 2010
Feel free to add any comments or questions
Response to our questions on the proposed Polyclinic and school from NHS Kingston Communications
Response from NHS Kingston Communications to key questions raised by Oakhill and District Residents Association on the proposed Polyclinic and new Primary school
Why is a new school needed in Surbiton?
For the purposes of School Place Planning, Kingston is divided into four planning areas, based on the Royal Borough of Kingston’s Neighbourhood areas as follows:
• Kingston Town (encompassing central and north Kingston)
• Maldens and Coombe (Old and New Malden and Coombe)
• Surbiton (Surbiton, Berrylands and Tolworth)
• South of the Borough (Chessington and Hook)
In recent years, Surbiton (along with the north of the Borough) is an area where growth in demand for places has been particularly strong.
Demand for school places in Surbiton:
The number of school aged pupils resident in the Surbiton area has grown substantially in recent years. A rise in the birth rate, along with a range of other factors (including more families with young families moving into the area) has led to a greater proportion of the school aged population applying for a state school place.
There are currently 405 permanent primary places per year group in the Surbiton area. Since September 2008 this capacity has been insufficient.
As the Local Authority has a statutory duty to provide a school place to all resident children who require one, Kingston Council has sought temporary increases in the number of children admitted into reception year in a number of schools. This has been achieved through the provision of ‘bulge’ classes and temporary classrooms being placed at certain schools in September 2008, 2009 and 2010. These ‘bulge’ year groups will work their way through the seven years of primary school, thus continuing to need the additional temporary classrooms until the pupils transfer to secondary school in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Further additional 'bulge' year groups are also needed for pupils starting primary school in September 2011 onwards. The ‘bulge’ classes have been added to the following schools:
2008/09:
• Maple Infants – 30 places (transfer to St Andrews & St Marks Junior in 2011)
• Christ Church Primary – 30 places
2009/10
• Maple Infants – 30 places (transfer to St Andrews & St Marks Junior in 2012)
• Grand Avenue Primary – 30 places
• St Matthew’s Primary – 45 places
2010/11:
• Grand Avenue Primary – 30 places
• St Matthew’s Primary – 15 places
• Other additional places in schools close to the Surbiton area
Anticipating and addressing demand over the coming years:
Kingston Council subscribes to the Greater London Authority School Rolls Projection service and receives draft forecasts on population projections and numbers of children who will require a school place. This is complemented by examining live birth data from the Office of National Statistics and other information such as registrations with local GP’s, demand for early years places and popularity of local schools. Forecasts on numbers of places are produced from population projections for each of the Kingston Neighbourhood areas and these take account of all the above variable factors, including future housing developments. Kingston Council updates it pupil forecasts twice a year to ensure that they remain up to date and accurate taking into account all of the latest information.
This data indicates that over the next few years, in addition to filling the current 405 school places in Surbiton, there will be approximately 91 additional four year olds requiring a school place each year in the area.
Kingston Council is therefore planning to create an additional 105 permanent school places in the Surbiton area bringing the level of primary capacity from 13.5 forms of entry to 17 forms of entry. This will provide sufficient places for local children to attend a primary school in their local community.
2011/12
From 2011/12 there are proposals to formally expand Grand Avenue by 30 permanent places per year group and St Matthew’s by 15 permanent places per year group – which provides 45 of the anticipated 105 additional places needed. The other 60 additional Reception Year places will be provided through a further year of ‘bulges’ at 2 other Surbiton schools, with the cohort likely to transfer to the new Surbiton school in September 2014 at the end of Year 2 (age 7).
2012/13
The new primary school in Surbiton will provide 60 new school places per year group – providing 105 new permanent places in total in the Surbiton area.
2013/14 onwards
It is difficult to predict demand for primary places for children who have not been born yet, however based on general population growth in the Borough and the number of women of child bearing age living in the area, we forecast that the number of live births over the next 5-7 years will be sustained at a level consistent with the general 25 – 30% rise in the birth rate that has been seen between 2001 – 2009. Therefore, the projection of demand for the Surbiton area is that there will be a sustained need for the additional 105 new places per year group currently being introduced.
Catchment area for the new school in Surbiton:
The Local Authority is bound by the Schools Admissions Code and cannot set a defined catchment area for the school. However, for all new schools the Local Authority is required to establish an outline specification for the school - part of this will state that the school must provide places for children in the Surbiton area. Since we know that the demand for additional school places comes from children living close to Surbiton town centre we would expect, subject to the outcome of the School Competition process, that the majority of pupils will live within easy walking distance of the school – most within half a mile and all within one mile.
Alternative sites which have been considered in Surbiton:
A comprehensive Borough-wide search of potential sites for a new primary school was undertaken. In Surbiton this included: -
• King Charles Centre
• Allotments in Surbiton and Tolworth
• Surbiton Station
• Police Federation Site
• Newent House, Browns Road, linked with vacant land at rear (owned by health)
• Surbiton Tennis Club, backing on to Christ Church Primary
• Surbiton Station site, Glenbuck Road
• TA site, Portsmouth Road
• Paragon Place/Grove (several adjoining properties)
These sites were not appropriate because either:
• they are too small for a two-form entry primary school;
• planning policy designation mitigated against their development as a school;
• there was no possibility of delivering a new school within a reasonable timeframe.
The Surbiton Hospital site provides the only opportunity to deliver additional school places for September 2012 when additional capacity in the Surbiton town area is urgently required.
The Local Authority also discussed with St Matthew’s School a number of potential options for further expansion of the school – included extending it to three-form entry. The outcome of these discussions was agreement to consult on the proposal to expand the school to two-form entry. Subsequently a Public Notice to expand St Matthew’s to two-form entry has been published and a planning application submitted to create an extension to the school that will enable them to accommodate an additional 105 pupils (i.e. 15 per year group x 7 years).
It is worth noting that the Southwark Diocese does not currently have any all-through primary schools of three-form entry in its’ area (although the Diocese has worked with Kingston Council to support the expansion of St Pauls Junior school to 3fe).
There are limited other possibilities; Christ Church Primary is already two-form entry, and at Maple Infants the expansion options are limited due to current planning policy and government guidelines about space per pupil.
If the new health facilities are NOT built on the Surbiton Hospital site (given the Government cut backs and that a new Polyclinic is not necessarily a high priority) where then would a school be built?
NHS Kingston and the Local Authority are confident that recent government announcements will not have a detrimental impact on the deliverability of this project.
The new health facilities in Surbiton are, and have always been, focused on the needs of the local community and on putting GPs at the centre of the community healthcare provision. This is in keeping with the recent Health White Paper, which also specifies the need for future health services to be community focused and GP led.
At the heart of our healthcare proposals is the multi-benefit solution to:
a. re-provide the out-dated and under-utilised buildings at Surbiton Hospital, whilst retaining some of the history and heritage of the old buildings;
b. provide new premises for local GP practices - many of which have a substantial need for both expanded and modernised facilities;
c. bring a number of community health services together under one roof to provide a more cost-efficient and effective service to the local community.
The new development therefore continues to be a high priority for NHS Kingston.
However, should this project not proceed for some reason, the Local Authority would need to make some difficult choices in further exploring the limited alternative options for providing additional primary school places in the Surbiton area.
Details regarding the new school:
The new school in Surbiton will provide places for 420 primary pupils, across 7 year groups (Reception + Years 1-6), plus 26 places for pre-school nursery children each morning and afternoon.
1. What is the estimated number of cars that will be involved, twice daily, for this number of children?
Taking into account the likelihood that many pupils will live within very close proximity to the site (meaning the quickest way to access the site will be on foot) the current intention is that the new Surbiton Primary School will aim for a car modal share (the percentage of pupils who travel to school by car) of no more than 10%.
It will be our intention through the school travel plan and work with new parents from the admissions process onwards, to ensure that this 10% car usage is the worst-case scenario.
When the school is at full capacity of 446 children (420 primary and 26 nursery) this would amount to around 44-45 pupils travelling by car. Since many of these children will be travelling with one or more siblings, or via a child minding and / or lift share arrangement, the number of cars involved is anticipated to be more in the region of 30-35 cars, twice daily.
For those children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) attending the school it is likely that transport may be provided as part of their Statement of SEN. The site will have disabled parking available for the transport of these pupils and so their transport will not impact on the residential roads around the site.
For the remaining car trips, the transport team is currently working with the local community (via a transport working group) to establish the best solutions for managing this process. The focus of our work currently involves the possibility of setting up 3-4 park and walk sites, close to the various entranceways to the site. More details on this will be provided as part of the planning application submission and the statutory consultation that goes with it.
Since we are starting afresh with the new Surbiton school and will be able to work with parents to influence behaviour before any pattern becomes ingrained, we believe our 10% target is achievable based on the fact that the borough average (at April 2010) was 18% of pupils travelling by car.
Putting this into context with other local schools in Surbiton, the current car modal share at St Matthews Primary School is 20% - currently 67 cars on an average day. This school has a target to reduce car use to 16% by 2015. Already the school has been successful in decreasing car trips to the school by 8% in the last year and continues to work towards less car travel for the journey to and from school. It is also worth noting that as a Church of England School St, Matthews typically has a wider catchment than for Kingston Community schools.
It is likely that the catchment area of the school will be less than one mile as this is commonly the case within the Royal Borough of Kingston, indeed most primary children in the borough live within half a mile of the school they attend. This will put the school within a walkable distance for the majority of pupils and parents and through the travel plan an ethos of walking to school will be in place from the start. The benefit of this is that unlike St Matthews, were we are dealing with travel habits that are ingrained, at the new Surbiton Primary we will have the chance to engage with parents before those habits have begun. As the intake to the school will be staggered with just one additional year group each year we will have more time to devote to each group of parents in terms of assisting them with planning safe routes to walk and cycle to school.
As a new school with all the facilities that come with that, it is anticipated that it will be a popular choice with parents and this factor will also serve to keep the catchment area local, as a distance criteria will be implemented where places are over-subscribed. Until the provider of the new school has been selected it will be difficult to be more exact about the catchment or potential car traffic to the site, as faith schools such as St Matthews have wider catchment areas than Local Authority primary schools. Once the school provider has been agreed, a further analysis of travel behaviours at comparable schools will be undertaken.
2. Where will the entrances to the school be located and how will the traffic implications impact on these roads?
The main entrance to the school will be at heart of the site - meaning easy and convenient access from multiple approach points - via Ewell Road, Oak Hill, the woodland footpath from the station, and South Bank Terrace. All four routes will be car free at the point of access for children - although vehicle access into these areas will remain for residents of South Bank Terrace, no.2 Oak Hill (which also has vehicular access at the rear) and to the health building from Ewell Road.
3. Can parents driving their children to school use the entrance closest to Ewell Road, alongside the health facilities, to relieve pressure on residential areas?
Yes, the main entrance to the school will be accessible via a footpath leading directly from Ewell Road. Our Travel Plan is focused on putting in place a rigorous process to ensure that schools traffic around the entrance to the site is kept to a minimum and that the flow of vehicles to and from the site is effectively managed.
The transport team is currently working with the local community (via a transport working group) to establish the best solutions for managing this process.
The focus of our work currently involves the possibility of setting up 3-4 park and walk sites, close to the various entranceways to the site. More details on this will be provided as part of the planning application submission and the statutory consultation that goes with it.
4. What about playground space and sports facilities?
Some of the site plans have not made it clear where playground space has been allocated – and the option to incorporate social, curriculum and play space on the roof has raised concerns that there is insufficient outdoor space for 420 pupils + 26 nursery children. There is however a range of hard and soft surface play areas situated around the school for pupils to use at playtimes. An outdoor area on the roof would provide additional space for certain outdoor learning activities and / or break times (e.g. older pupils lunch area). This would be secure with an 1800m high safety glass secure fencing with a brick parapet around the perimeter of the roof.
The search of potential sites for a new primary school identified no sites that could have provided a new school with attached playing fields for Year 3-6 pupils. The Local Authority is required to ensure that there is a nominated playing field available for any school without on-site playing fields. There are a number of primary schools in the Borough that access sports facilities away from the main school site. Examples of these include Latchmere, Fern Hill, St Paul’s Junior, St Joseph’s and King Athelstan. Similarly, the new school in Surbiton could access other local playing fields, or there may be a possibility of accessing another school’s facilities although this will need to be the subject of discussions.
Details regarding the health facilities:
1. How many GP practices are likely to move to the new health facilities and what space will they occupy? Are GPs choosing whether or not to move?
Seven practices are looking to relocate to the new health building - including three currently located at Oakhill Health Centre. Lengthy discussions have taken place with all senior partners in Surbiton about whether or not they wish to move. An eighth practice has also expressed interest and a further three Surbiton GP practices have indicated that they do not intend to move. Approx 1,900 sq.m of floor space will be allocated to the seven GP practices (including corridors, wcs, offices, stores etc.).
2. How will the move of GP practices affect the travel time and ease of access for patients?
The three GP practices currently located at the Oakhill Health Centre represent 26,000 of the 39,000 patients registered with the seven practices planning to move. NHS Kingston has plotted point of origin maps for all patients relative to the GP practice they currently attend. This makes it clear that many patients are passing the Surbiton Hospital site to access their current surgery. The Needs Assessment studies used for planning new health services also make it clear that many patients are travelling out of the area to access GP services. While some patients may decide to move practice, an equal number are likely to decide to stop travelling out and register with a relocated practice.
3. Will patients be able to see the GP of their choice within an acceptable appointment time? What is considered acceptable?
Yes: this is about retaining individual practice identities whilst increasing the availability of appointments across the day and week and providing an extended range of services. There will, as a consequence be a reduction in the peak Monday and Tuesday activity caused by limited opening times and appointment availability.
4. What treatments and consultation services will be available? Has the whole range yet been identified as published?
Services will follow an ‘Integrated Healthcare Model’, where GP and community services, integrated social care teams, outpatient and consultant services are provided alongside each other in a co-ordinated and integrated way.
Services include:
• GPs and Practice Nurses
• Phlebotomy (blood tests)
• Diagnostics, including X-ray and ultra sound and visits by mobile unit for mammograms
• Community services – physiotherapy/podiatry etc.
• Community dentistry
• Outpatient and consultant lead services
• Minor operations
• Urgent Care – an alternative to going to Kingston A+E for minor illness
• Health Visitors and District Nurses
Details relating to both buildings / the community space:
It has been stated that there will not be any parking facility for staff. Is this really feasible? How will it impact on recruiting good staff?
Under revised designs for the site a small amount of staff parking has been accommodated and this is continuing to be reviewed as we work towards towards the final planning application. As part of staff recruitment a number of policies will be employed which will include:
• local recruitment where possible, particularly for part time positions
• promotion of season ticket loans for public transport (dependent on school provider / employer)
• promotion of tax free incentives to purchase bicycles
• a strong active travel policy has been shown in workplaces to act as an incentive to prospect staff and this is something that the school and health services will promote and encourage.
Are there any examples of where health facilities and a school have worked so close together? What research has been done on the implications of placing a school so close to a health building? What is the measure of the separation?
There are successful examples nationwide where a campus approach is taken to develop health facilities adjoining primary schools / children’s centres. This is most common when new housing is planned and the infrastructure is planned into the new estates - however, the management issues of the joint facilities are the same as will be present on the Surbiton site.
While the two building will share the same site at Surbiton, they will have complimentary needs in respect of walking, cycling and travel by bus. They will have discrete needs in terms of car trips: parking at the health building will be linked to scheduled activity (i.e. visits by appointment or arrangement) and flexibility in terms of unscheduled care (when someone just turns up). The Travel Plan will be key in managing the demand for and impact of unscheduled activity.
The current peaks in activity associated with health (due to several GPs operating surgeries during the same limited hours) will be smoothed as a result of extended hours of opening, a greater range of available appointments times and a one-stop services - where more aspects of each patients needs are dealt with in a single visit.
School and patient transport services (i.e. by pre booked taxi or minibus) can be managed through the barrier on Ewell Road. Car trips for the school will, by their nature, be limited to the morning and afternoon drop-off/pickup times. In the former case, the Travel Plan will see the school being able to receive children at agreed drop off points (by definition, those who drive are most likely to be in a hurry and seeking to complete a longer journey).
The healthcare facility and school will have separate entrances and be linked by a proposed community space. Secure pedestrian routes to the school will have no adverse implications for patients attending the healthcare facility.
How will the building plans incorporate the fact that the area is in a conservation area, which includes Victorian houses and many preserved trees?
A historic buildings adviser has been appointed and English Heritage consulted. Ecology and tree experts have surveyed the site and assessed how best to retain its valuable characteristics. The development must ‘preserve or enhance’ the character of the conservation area.
The important trees and mature boundary planting will be preserved. The Lodge and entrance gates on Ewell Road will be restored to their former high streetscape value. No.3 Oak Hill will be restored and converted back to residential use.
Since all buildings within the conservation area are viewed as heritage assets in the character of the conservation area, proposals that involve demolition should be considered in the context of possible ‘harm’ to that character (harm being the test for whether something ‘preserves’ character).
The loss of no.1 Oak Hill would not, in the opinion of the historic buildings adviser lead to demonstrable harm to the character of the conservation area. Well-designed buildings, set amongst the mature planting on the site would preserve the character of the conservation area. The value of a proposal in terms of public good is also relevant. Renewal of the hospital and provision of a primary school for the neighbourhood would be of high public value.
Have or will the Emergency Services been consulted about the ease of access to the school and the health facilities?
Liaison is via Transport for London and Kingston Council (as highway manager). Access for all blue light services is a priority. The Local Ambulance Service has been consulted about ambulances. No ambulances would be expected to visit the site except in an emergency relating to the site itself (i.e. off-site ambulance calls will be dealt with via Kingston Hospital). In an on-site emergency, either the main entrance barrier can be lifted, or access will be available via South Bank Terrance. Incidence of ambulance calls to a school or health building is rare. The site is accessible from three directions for police, fire and rescue services.
Will the Community use be free or chargeable? Currently community use in schools is quite expensive unless one is running a business.
We are using the current consultation to find out how the buildings could best be put to community use. How these plans are put in place will be the decision of the school and health practitioners who end up on the site, but we would not expect this to result in expensive fees.
The Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee will also continue to work with the eventual users of the site to assist in the process of managing the future relationship between the occupants of the building and the members of the community seeking to use it.
----------------------------------------------------
Feel free to add any comments or questions
Why is a new school needed in Surbiton?
For the purposes of School Place Planning, Kingston is divided into four planning areas, based on the Royal Borough of Kingston’s Neighbourhood areas as follows:
• Kingston Town (encompassing central and north Kingston)
• Maldens and Coombe (Old and New Malden and Coombe)
• Surbiton (Surbiton, Berrylands and Tolworth)
• South of the Borough (Chessington and Hook)
In recent years, Surbiton (along with the north of the Borough) is an area where growth in demand for places has been particularly strong.
Demand for school places in Surbiton:
The number of school aged pupils resident in the Surbiton area has grown substantially in recent years. A rise in the birth rate, along with a range of other factors (including more families with young families moving into the area) has led to a greater proportion of the school aged population applying for a state school place.
There are currently 405 permanent primary places per year group in the Surbiton area. Since September 2008 this capacity has been insufficient.
As the Local Authority has a statutory duty to provide a school place to all resident children who require one, Kingston Council has sought temporary increases in the number of children admitted into reception year in a number of schools. This has been achieved through the provision of ‘bulge’ classes and temporary classrooms being placed at certain schools in September 2008, 2009 and 2010. These ‘bulge’ year groups will work their way through the seven years of primary school, thus continuing to need the additional temporary classrooms until the pupils transfer to secondary school in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Further additional 'bulge' year groups are also needed for pupils starting primary school in September 2011 onwards. The ‘bulge’ classes have been added to the following schools:
2008/09:
• Maple Infants – 30 places (transfer to St Andrews & St Marks Junior in 2011)
• Christ Church Primary – 30 places
2009/10
• Maple Infants – 30 places (transfer to St Andrews & St Marks Junior in 2012)
• Grand Avenue Primary – 30 places
• St Matthew’s Primary – 45 places
2010/11:
• Grand Avenue Primary – 30 places
• St Matthew’s Primary – 15 places
• Other additional places in schools close to the Surbiton area
Anticipating and addressing demand over the coming years:
Kingston Council subscribes to the Greater London Authority School Rolls Projection service and receives draft forecasts on population projections and numbers of children who will require a school place. This is complemented by examining live birth data from the Office of National Statistics and other information such as registrations with local GP’s, demand for early years places and popularity of local schools. Forecasts on numbers of places are produced from population projections for each of the Kingston Neighbourhood areas and these take account of all the above variable factors, including future housing developments. Kingston Council updates it pupil forecasts twice a year to ensure that they remain up to date and accurate taking into account all of the latest information.
This data indicates that over the next few years, in addition to filling the current 405 school places in Surbiton, there will be approximately 91 additional four year olds requiring a school place each year in the area.
Kingston Council is therefore planning to create an additional 105 permanent school places in the Surbiton area bringing the level of primary capacity from 13.5 forms of entry to 17 forms of entry. This will provide sufficient places for local children to attend a primary school in their local community.
2011/12
From 2011/12 there are proposals to formally expand Grand Avenue by 30 permanent places per year group and St Matthew’s by 15 permanent places per year group – which provides 45 of the anticipated 105 additional places needed. The other 60 additional Reception Year places will be provided through a further year of ‘bulges’ at 2 other Surbiton schools, with the cohort likely to transfer to the new Surbiton school in September 2014 at the end of Year 2 (age 7).
2012/13
The new primary school in Surbiton will provide 60 new school places per year group – providing 105 new permanent places in total in the Surbiton area.
2013/14 onwards
It is difficult to predict demand for primary places for children who have not been born yet, however based on general population growth in the Borough and the number of women of child bearing age living in the area, we forecast that the number of live births over the next 5-7 years will be sustained at a level consistent with the general 25 – 30% rise in the birth rate that has been seen between 2001 – 2009. Therefore, the projection of demand for the Surbiton area is that there will be a sustained need for the additional 105 new places per year group currently being introduced.
Catchment area for the new school in Surbiton:
The Local Authority is bound by the Schools Admissions Code and cannot set a defined catchment area for the school. However, for all new schools the Local Authority is required to establish an outline specification for the school - part of this will state that the school must provide places for children in the Surbiton area. Since we know that the demand for additional school places comes from children living close to Surbiton town centre we would expect, subject to the outcome of the School Competition process, that the majority of pupils will live within easy walking distance of the school – most within half a mile and all within one mile.
Alternative sites which have been considered in Surbiton:
A comprehensive Borough-wide search of potential sites for a new primary school was undertaken. In Surbiton this included: -
• King Charles Centre
• Allotments in Surbiton and Tolworth
• Surbiton Station
• Police Federation Site
• Newent House, Browns Road, linked with vacant land at rear (owned by health)
• Surbiton Tennis Club, backing on to Christ Church Primary
• Surbiton Station site, Glenbuck Road
• TA site, Portsmouth Road
• Paragon Place/Grove (several adjoining properties)
These sites were not appropriate because either:
• they are too small for a two-form entry primary school;
• planning policy designation mitigated against their development as a school;
• there was no possibility of delivering a new school within a reasonable timeframe.
The Surbiton Hospital site provides the only opportunity to deliver additional school places for September 2012 when additional capacity in the Surbiton town area is urgently required.
The Local Authority also discussed with St Matthew’s School a number of potential options for further expansion of the school – included extending it to three-form entry. The outcome of these discussions was agreement to consult on the proposal to expand the school to two-form entry. Subsequently a Public Notice to expand St Matthew’s to two-form entry has been published and a planning application submitted to create an extension to the school that will enable them to accommodate an additional 105 pupils (i.e. 15 per year group x 7 years).
It is worth noting that the Southwark Diocese does not currently have any all-through primary schools of three-form entry in its’ area (although the Diocese has worked with Kingston Council to support the expansion of St Pauls Junior school to 3fe).
There are limited other possibilities; Christ Church Primary is already two-form entry, and at Maple Infants the expansion options are limited due to current planning policy and government guidelines about space per pupil.
If the new health facilities are NOT built on the Surbiton Hospital site (given the Government cut backs and that a new Polyclinic is not necessarily a high priority) where then would a school be built?
NHS Kingston and the Local Authority are confident that recent government announcements will not have a detrimental impact on the deliverability of this project.
The new health facilities in Surbiton are, and have always been, focused on the needs of the local community and on putting GPs at the centre of the community healthcare provision. This is in keeping with the recent Health White Paper, which also specifies the need for future health services to be community focused and GP led.
At the heart of our healthcare proposals is the multi-benefit solution to:
a. re-provide the out-dated and under-utilised buildings at Surbiton Hospital, whilst retaining some of the history and heritage of the old buildings;
b. provide new premises for local GP practices - many of which have a substantial need for both expanded and modernised facilities;
c. bring a number of community health services together under one roof to provide a more cost-efficient and effective service to the local community.
The new development therefore continues to be a high priority for NHS Kingston.
However, should this project not proceed for some reason, the Local Authority would need to make some difficult choices in further exploring the limited alternative options for providing additional primary school places in the Surbiton area.
Details regarding the new school:
The new school in Surbiton will provide places for 420 primary pupils, across 7 year groups (Reception + Years 1-6), plus 26 places for pre-school nursery children each morning and afternoon.
1. What is the estimated number of cars that will be involved, twice daily, for this number of children?
Taking into account the likelihood that many pupils will live within very close proximity to the site (meaning the quickest way to access the site will be on foot) the current intention is that the new Surbiton Primary School will aim for a car modal share (the percentage of pupils who travel to school by car) of no more than 10%.
It will be our intention through the school travel plan and work with new parents from the admissions process onwards, to ensure that this 10% car usage is the worst-case scenario.
When the school is at full capacity of 446 children (420 primary and 26 nursery) this would amount to around 44-45 pupils travelling by car. Since many of these children will be travelling with one or more siblings, or via a child minding and / or lift share arrangement, the number of cars involved is anticipated to be more in the region of 30-35 cars, twice daily.
For those children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) attending the school it is likely that transport may be provided as part of their Statement of SEN. The site will have disabled parking available for the transport of these pupils and so their transport will not impact on the residential roads around the site.
For the remaining car trips, the transport team is currently working with the local community (via a transport working group) to establish the best solutions for managing this process. The focus of our work currently involves the possibility of setting up 3-4 park and walk sites, close to the various entranceways to the site. More details on this will be provided as part of the planning application submission and the statutory consultation that goes with it.
Since we are starting afresh with the new Surbiton school and will be able to work with parents to influence behaviour before any pattern becomes ingrained, we believe our 10% target is achievable based on the fact that the borough average (at April 2010) was 18% of pupils travelling by car.
Putting this into context with other local schools in Surbiton, the current car modal share at St Matthews Primary School is 20% - currently 67 cars on an average day. This school has a target to reduce car use to 16% by 2015. Already the school has been successful in decreasing car trips to the school by 8% in the last year and continues to work towards less car travel for the journey to and from school. It is also worth noting that as a Church of England School St, Matthews typically has a wider catchment than for Kingston Community schools.
It is likely that the catchment area of the school will be less than one mile as this is commonly the case within the Royal Borough of Kingston, indeed most primary children in the borough live within half a mile of the school they attend. This will put the school within a walkable distance for the majority of pupils and parents and through the travel plan an ethos of walking to school will be in place from the start. The benefit of this is that unlike St Matthews, were we are dealing with travel habits that are ingrained, at the new Surbiton Primary we will have the chance to engage with parents before those habits have begun. As the intake to the school will be staggered with just one additional year group each year we will have more time to devote to each group of parents in terms of assisting them with planning safe routes to walk and cycle to school.
As a new school with all the facilities that come with that, it is anticipated that it will be a popular choice with parents and this factor will also serve to keep the catchment area local, as a distance criteria will be implemented where places are over-subscribed. Until the provider of the new school has been selected it will be difficult to be more exact about the catchment or potential car traffic to the site, as faith schools such as St Matthews have wider catchment areas than Local Authority primary schools. Once the school provider has been agreed, a further analysis of travel behaviours at comparable schools will be undertaken.
2. Where will the entrances to the school be located and how will the traffic implications impact on these roads?
The main entrance to the school will be at heart of the site - meaning easy and convenient access from multiple approach points - via Ewell Road, Oak Hill, the woodland footpath from the station, and South Bank Terrace. All four routes will be car free at the point of access for children - although vehicle access into these areas will remain for residents of South Bank Terrace, no.2 Oak Hill (which also has vehicular access at the rear) and to the health building from Ewell Road.
3. Can parents driving their children to school use the entrance closest to Ewell Road, alongside the health facilities, to relieve pressure on residential areas?
Yes, the main entrance to the school will be accessible via a footpath leading directly from Ewell Road. Our Travel Plan is focused on putting in place a rigorous process to ensure that schools traffic around the entrance to the site is kept to a minimum and that the flow of vehicles to and from the site is effectively managed.
The transport team is currently working with the local community (via a transport working group) to establish the best solutions for managing this process.
The focus of our work currently involves the possibility of setting up 3-4 park and walk sites, close to the various entranceways to the site. More details on this will be provided as part of the planning application submission and the statutory consultation that goes with it.
4. What about playground space and sports facilities?
Some of the site plans have not made it clear where playground space has been allocated – and the option to incorporate social, curriculum and play space on the roof has raised concerns that there is insufficient outdoor space for 420 pupils + 26 nursery children. There is however a range of hard and soft surface play areas situated around the school for pupils to use at playtimes. An outdoor area on the roof would provide additional space for certain outdoor learning activities and / or break times (e.g. older pupils lunch area). This would be secure with an 1800m high safety glass secure fencing with a brick parapet around the perimeter of the roof.
The search of potential sites for a new primary school identified no sites that could have provided a new school with attached playing fields for Year 3-6 pupils. The Local Authority is required to ensure that there is a nominated playing field available for any school without on-site playing fields. There are a number of primary schools in the Borough that access sports facilities away from the main school site. Examples of these include Latchmere, Fern Hill, St Paul’s Junior, St Joseph’s and King Athelstan. Similarly, the new school in Surbiton could access other local playing fields, or there may be a possibility of accessing another school’s facilities although this will need to be the subject of discussions.
Details regarding the health facilities:
1. How many GP practices are likely to move to the new health facilities and what space will they occupy? Are GPs choosing whether or not to move?
Seven practices are looking to relocate to the new health building - including three currently located at Oakhill Health Centre. Lengthy discussions have taken place with all senior partners in Surbiton about whether or not they wish to move. An eighth practice has also expressed interest and a further three Surbiton GP practices have indicated that they do not intend to move. Approx 1,900 sq.m of floor space will be allocated to the seven GP practices (including corridors, wcs, offices, stores etc.).
2. How will the move of GP practices affect the travel time and ease of access for patients?
The three GP practices currently located at the Oakhill Health Centre represent 26,000 of the 39,000 patients registered with the seven practices planning to move. NHS Kingston has plotted point of origin maps for all patients relative to the GP practice they currently attend. This makes it clear that many patients are passing the Surbiton Hospital site to access their current surgery. The Needs Assessment studies used for planning new health services also make it clear that many patients are travelling out of the area to access GP services. While some patients may decide to move practice, an equal number are likely to decide to stop travelling out and register with a relocated practice.
3. Will patients be able to see the GP of their choice within an acceptable appointment time? What is considered acceptable?
Yes: this is about retaining individual practice identities whilst increasing the availability of appointments across the day and week and providing an extended range of services. There will, as a consequence be a reduction in the peak Monday and Tuesday activity caused by limited opening times and appointment availability.
4. What treatments and consultation services will be available? Has the whole range yet been identified as published?
Services will follow an ‘Integrated Healthcare Model’, where GP and community services, integrated social care teams, outpatient and consultant services are provided alongside each other in a co-ordinated and integrated way.
Services include:
• GPs and Practice Nurses
• Phlebotomy (blood tests)
• Diagnostics, including X-ray and ultra sound and visits by mobile unit for mammograms
• Community services – physiotherapy/podiatry etc.
• Community dentistry
• Outpatient and consultant lead services
• Minor operations
• Urgent Care – an alternative to going to Kingston A+E for minor illness
• Health Visitors and District Nurses
Details relating to both buildings / the community space:
It has been stated that there will not be any parking facility for staff. Is this really feasible? How will it impact on recruiting good staff?
Under revised designs for the site a small amount of staff parking has been accommodated and this is continuing to be reviewed as we work towards towards the final planning application. As part of staff recruitment a number of policies will be employed which will include:
• local recruitment where possible, particularly for part time positions
• promotion of season ticket loans for public transport (dependent on school provider / employer)
• promotion of tax free incentives to purchase bicycles
• a strong active travel policy has been shown in workplaces to act as an incentive to prospect staff and this is something that the school and health services will promote and encourage.
Are there any examples of where health facilities and a school have worked so close together? What research has been done on the implications of placing a school so close to a health building? What is the measure of the separation?
There are successful examples nationwide where a campus approach is taken to develop health facilities adjoining primary schools / children’s centres. This is most common when new housing is planned and the infrastructure is planned into the new estates - however, the management issues of the joint facilities are the same as will be present on the Surbiton site.
While the two building will share the same site at Surbiton, they will have complimentary needs in respect of walking, cycling and travel by bus. They will have discrete needs in terms of car trips: parking at the health building will be linked to scheduled activity (i.e. visits by appointment or arrangement) and flexibility in terms of unscheduled care (when someone just turns up). The Travel Plan will be key in managing the demand for and impact of unscheduled activity.
The current peaks in activity associated with health (due to several GPs operating surgeries during the same limited hours) will be smoothed as a result of extended hours of opening, a greater range of available appointments times and a one-stop services - where more aspects of each patients needs are dealt with in a single visit.
School and patient transport services (i.e. by pre booked taxi or minibus) can be managed through the barrier on Ewell Road. Car trips for the school will, by their nature, be limited to the morning and afternoon drop-off/pickup times. In the former case, the Travel Plan will see the school being able to receive children at agreed drop off points (by definition, those who drive are most likely to be in a hurry and seeking to complete a longer journey).
The healthcare facility and school will have separate entrances and be linked by a proposed community space. Secure pedestrian routes to the school will have no adverse implications for patients attending the healthcare facility.
How will the building plans incorporate the fact that the area is in a conservation area, which includes Victorian houses and many preserved trees?
A historic buildings adviser has been appointed and English Heritage consulted. Ecology and tree experts have surveyed the site and assessed how best to retain its valuable characteristics. The development must ‘preserve or enhance’ the character of the conservation area.
The important trees and mature boundary planting will be preserved. The Lodge and entrance gates on Ewell Road will be restored to their former high streetscape value. No.3 Oak Hill will be restored and converted back to residential use.
Since all buildings within the conservation area are viewed as heritage assets in the character of the conservation area, proposals that involve demolition should be considered in the context of possible ‘harm’ to that character (harm being the test for whether something ‘preserves’ character).
The loss of no.1 Oak Hill would not, in the opinion of the historic buildings adviser lead to demonstrable harm to the character of the conservation area. Well-designed buildings, set amongst the mature planting on the site would preserve the character of the conservation area. The value of a proposal in terms of public good is also relevant. Renewal of the hospital and provision of a primary school for the neighbourhood would be of high public value.
Have or will the Emergency Services been consulted about the ease of access to the school and the health facilities?
Liaison is via Transport for London and Kingston Council (as highway manager). Access for all blue light services is a priority. The Local Ambulance Service has been consulted about ambulances. No ambulances would be expected to visit the site except in an emergency relating to the site itself (i.e. off-site ambulance calls will be dealt with via Kingston Hospital). In an on-site emergency, either the main entrance barrier can be lifted, or access will be available via South Bank Terrance. Incidence of ambulance calls to a school or health building is rare. The site is accessible from three directions for police, fire and rescue services.
Will the Community use be free or chargeable? Currently community use in schools is quite expensive unless one is running a business.
We are using the current consultation to find out how the buildings could best be put to community use. How these plans are put in place will be the decision of the school and health practitioners who end up on the site, but we would not expect this to result in expensive fees.
The Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee will also continue to work with the eventual users of the site to assist in the process of managing the future relationship between the occupants of the building and the members of the community seeking to use it.
----------------------------------------------------
Feel free to add any comments or questions
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Questions we have raised with the representatives from the NHS and Council on the proposed Polyclinic and new Primary school
1. How is the Kingston area divided for the purpose of primary education?
2. In which area is the current suggestion for a new school placed?
3. What is the current demand within this area for school places and how many places are available?
4. Is there a current shortage and how is this being dealt with at the present time?
5. What is the current projection of demand for the next 5-7 years and on what is it based?
6. Is the catchment area for the proposed two form entry primary school the whole of that given in 2. above or is it a more precise area?
7. Given that a two form entry will be 60 youngsters for each year group, leading to about 420 for the school and an additional 41 if one includes the nursery and SEN provision, what is your estimate of the number of cars that will be involved twice a day? On what are these figures based? For examples how many cars are involved twice a day at St Matthew’s, a one and a half form entry school?
8. What alternative sites have been studied and what are the financial and time considerations compared with building next to a Polyclinic?
9. Are there any examples of where a polyclinic and school have worked so close together?
10. The assumption has been made that a school could be built on the Surbiton hospital site land adjacent to a new Polyclinic. Given the Government cut backs and that a new Polyclinic is not necessarily a very high priority, if the new Polyclinic does not proceed, the demand for school places will not have gone away, where then would a school be built?
11. Given that St Matthews is just increasing from a 1.5 to 2 form entry and given the extent of its land, could this be increased to a 3 from entry? Is there another school which could do the same? We understand that the Church Authorities are against further expansion on their site. Given the stated dire need would further discussions be helpful?
12. If a Polyclinic and school are built on the Surbiton Hospital site and referring to the published briefing document:
a) How will the plans incorporate the fact that the area is in a conservation area, which includes Victorian houses and many preserved trees?
b) Will the entrances to the school be in Oakhill how will the traffic implications raised in 7 above, impact on these road?
c) There is an entrance to the school on the plan via the Ewell Road adjoining the entrance to the Polyclinic? Can this be used for the main entrance, given that it is stated that very few children will come via by car. This will relieve the pressure on the residential areas?
d) It has been stated that there will not be any parking facility for staff. Is this really feasible. How will it impact on recruiting good staff?
e) Have or will the Emergency Services been consulted about the ease of access to the school and the Polyclinic?
f) The school is proposed to be built without any sports facilities and the playground facilities are o the roof. It has been stated that many schools (how many?) in the Borough have no sports facilities for football, rounders, short tennis, athletics. Surely this is bad planning to build such a school omitting items all vital in early day schooling. How secure is a playground on the roof and what is the access, especially for physically handicapped children and staff?
g) What research has been done on the implications of placing a school so close to a Polyclinic? What is the measure of the separation?
h) Will the Community use be free or chargeable? Currently community use in schools is quite expensive unless one is running a business.
13. Given that a Polyclinic is built:
a) How many GP practices will be moved to the new Polyclinic and how will this affect the travelling time and ease of access of patients wishing to see their GP’s Will GP’s have a choice whether they move or not?
b) What is the proportion of space that will be devoted to GP’s? It suggests the whole of the ground floor. How many practices will that hold?
c) Will patients be able to see the GP of their choice within an acceptable appointment time? What is considered acceptable?
d) What treatments and consultation services will be available? Has the whole range yet been identified as published?
2. In which area is the current suggestion for a new school placed?
3. What is the current demand within this area for school places and how many places are available?
4. Is there a current shortage and how is this being dealt with at the present time?
5. What is the current projection of demand for the next 5-7 years and on what is it based?
6. Is the catchment area for the proposed two form entry primary school the whole of that given in 2. above or is it a more precise area?
7. Given that a two form entry will be 60 youngsters for each year group, leading to about 420 for the school and an additional 41 if one includes the nursery and SEN provision, what is your estimate of the number of cars that will be involved twice a day? On what are these figures based? For examples how many cars are involved twice a day at St Matthew’s, a one and a half form entry school?
8. What alternative sites have been studied and what are the financial and time considerations compared with building next to a Polyclinic?
9. Are there any examples of where a polyclinic and school have worked so close together?
10. The assumption has been made that a school could be built on the Surbiton hospital site land adjacent to a new Polyclinic. Given the Government cut backs and that a new Polyclinic is not necessarily a very high priority, if the new Polyclinic does not proceed, the demand for school places will not have gone away, where then would a school be built?
11. Given that St Matthews is just increasing from a 1.5 to 2 form entry and given the extent of its land, could this be increased to a 3 from entry? Is there another school which could do the same? We understand that the Church Authorities are against further expansion on their site. Given the stated dire need would further discussions be helpful?
12. If a Polyclinic and school are built on the Surbiton Hospital site and referring to the published briefing document:
a) How will the plans incorporate the fact that the area is in a conservation area, which includes Victorian houses and many preserved trees?
b) Will the entrances to the school be in Oakhill how will the traffic implications raised in 7 above, impact on these road?
c) There is an entrance to the school on the plan via the Ewell Road adjoining the entrance to the Polyclinic? Can this be used for the main entrance, given that it is stated that very few children will come via by car. This will relieve the pressure on the residential areas?
d) It has been stated that there will not be any parking facility for staff. Is this really feasible. How will it impact on recruiting good staff?
e) Have or will the Emergency Services been consulted about the ease of access to the school and the Polyclinic?
f) The school is proposed to be built without any sports facilities and the playground facilities are o the roof. It has been stated that many schools (how many?) in the Borough have no sports facilities for football, rounders, short tennis, athletics. Surely this is bad planning to build such a school omitting items all vital in early day schooling. How secure is a playground on the roof and what is the access, especially for physically handicapped children and staff?
g) What research has been done on the implications of placing a school so close to a Polyclinic? What is the measure of the separation?
h) Will the Community use be free or chargeable? Currently community use in schools is quite expensive unless one is running a business.
13. Given that a Polyclinic is built:
a) How many GP practices will be moved to the new Polyclinic and how will this affect the travelling time and ease of access of patients wishing to see their GP’s Will GP’s have a choice whether they move or not?
b) What is the proportion of space that will be devoted to GP’s? It suggests the whole of the ground floor. How many practices will that hold?
c) Will patients be able to see the GP of their choice within an acceptable appointment time? What is considered acceptable?
d) What treatments and consultation services will be available? Has the whole range yet been identified as published?
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Annual General Meeting - 8 p.m. Thursday 7th October 2010
OAKHILL & DISTRICT RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (OADRA)
The Annual General Meeting will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday 7th October 2010, at the Surbiton (New Life) Baptist Church in Langley Road
The previous meeting was held on 25th July and was attended by more than 40 people, representing many of the roads that OADRA aims to cover. We hope that many more people will come to our AGM, and be willing to become involved in events in our area. Your attendance will give us some idea if an Association is still required.
Since its inception, the interim committee has had several meetings and helped to represent local residents on:
• Planning enforcement at Tudor Lodge (on-going)
• Plans for a Polyclinic and Primary School on the Surbiton Hospital site
(OADRA will be represented on the transport study group)
• Refurbishment of Surbiton Station
• Plans for the Police Federation building.
There may be other local issues of importance to you, that OADRA could become involved with; but we need you let us know which issues affect you.
The email address to contact us on is: oakhilldra@gmail.com or oakhilldra@googlemail.com
We try to keep this website updated with our latest activities.
We now need to formalise the Association, and plan to elect the following officers to take it forward: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Publicity Officer, Webmaster
We also need people who are prepared to represent their road or blocks of flats, when we need to distribute information, or to collect subscriptions.
We are proposing that the first year’s subscriptions will run until December 31st 2011, and thereafter all subscriptions will be from 1st January to 31st December. It was agreed at the last general meeting that subscriptions should be £5 per household. As you will understand, a modest amount of funding is needed in order for OADRA to function effectively.
If you could spare the time to be involved, either on the committee or as a helper, please let us know beforehand or at the meeting. Thank you.
Representatives from the NHS and Kingston Council will be present for ½ hour from 8pm to answer your questions and hear your comments on the proposed Polyclinic and new Primary school. So, if you are for or against the Surbiton Hospital site being used for:
- A Polyclinic
- A Primary School
- A Polyclinic and Primary School
Come along and let your views be known, so that your committee and key decision-makers will know what people in Oakhill and District would like to see built.
----------------------------------------------------
Feel free to add any comments or questions.............................
The Annual General Meeting will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday 7th October 2010, at the Surbiton (New Life) Baptist Church in Langley Road
The previous meeting was held on 25th July and was attended by more than 40 people, representing many of the roads that OADRA aims to cover. We hope that many more people will come to our AGM, and be willing to become involved in events in our area. Your attendance will give us some idea if an Association is still required.
Since its inception, the interim committee has had several meetings and helped to represent local residents on:
• Planning enforcement at Tudor Lodge (on-going)
• Plans for a Polyclinic and Primary School on the Surbiton Hospital site
(OADRA will be represented on the transport study group)
• Refurbishment of Surbiton Station
• Plans for the Police Federation building.
There may be other local issues of importance to you, that OADRA could become involved with; but we need you let us know which issues affect you.
The email address to contact us on is: oakhilldra@gmail.com or oakhilldra@googlemail.com
We try to keep this website updated with our latest activities.
We now need to formalise the Association, and plan to elect the following officers to take it forward: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Publicity Officer, Webmaster
We also need people who are prepared to represent their road or blocks of flats, when we need to distribute information, or to collect subscriptions.
We are proposing that the first year’s subscriptions will run until December 31st 2011, and thereafter all subscriptions will be from 1st January to 31st December. It was agreed at the last general meeting that subscriptions should be £5 per household. As you will understand, a modest amount of funding is needed in order for OADRA to function effectively.
If you could spare the time to be involved, either on the committee or as a helper, please let us know beforehand or at the meeting. Thank you.
Representatives from the NHS and Kingston Council will be present for ½ hour from 8pm to answer your questions and hear your comments on the proposed Polyclinic and new Primary school. So, if you are for or against the Surbiton Hospital site being used for:
- A Polyclinic
- A Primary School
- A Polyclinic and Primary School
Come along and let your views be known, so that your committee and key decision-makers will know what people in Oakhill and District would like to see built.
----------------------------------------------------
Feel free to add any comments or questions.............................
Friday, 30 July 2010
Stakeholders' meeting re Surbiton Hospital site
15 July 2010 14:20
To: OADRA
Subject: Stakeholders' meeting re Surbiton Hospital site
To Oakhill Residents.
I went to the stakeholders meeting at Surbiton Hospital on Tuesday regarding the proposed plans for the site. Below is a list of main points which I have gathered. Tracy Reader, who is the liaison person, is going to send me the meetings notes with questions and answers given at that meeting, which I will circulate on receipt.
1. The proposals for the polyclinic and the school is now a joint proposal.
2. The RBK executive committee approved the proposals at a meeting on 30 June. I spoke to Liz Green who is the Education for All councillor who was at that meeting and she said that this current consultation is about the building plans and not about whether a school is wanted or not - that was determined by the previous consultation in March - May which indicated that the majority of those who favoured school expansion wanted a school on the site. There was no data available to back this up.
3. Apparently, there has been a 30% rise in birth rate in the borough between 2003 and 2009 and in the last year an increase in 14% of 4 year olds.
4. The plan is that as this is a new school, the public will be 'educated' not to bring children to school by car as the catchment area ought to be within walking distance. There will be no parking for staff as the staff will be expected to walk, cycle or take public transport! Staff are not expected to carry marking and preparation material to and from school! The school will be an 'exemplar' school with these expectations from the start.
5. The polyclinic - all ground floor area will house 6-7 GP practices, with lifts to second floor for all diagnostic testing and treatments. List of these services yet to be clarified. Parking from the Ewell Road entrance only for polyclinic users.
6. A third traffic impact assessment is being carried out, working with TfL and the focus is to reduce impact of traffic.
7. Asked about the status of the project in the light of the proposed government cut backs and changes to NHS management, the cost will come from partly private sources and from within existing NHS funding, mainly from resources for existing services. A business case will be drawn up and presented by October but there is a commercial confidentiality legislation which makes it not possible to publish the detailed costs.
8. I asked Marcus Ballard who represents Lifco, the trust which is managing the development, about the future of No1 Oakhill (Elmside). He says it has a lower heritage status than No.3, which will be restored and used for flats. Therefore No.1 will be demolished "in the public interest" i.e. it gets in the way of getting the required area needed for a school.
9. The future of the Oakhill Health centre to be decided but use as a day care centre or sheltered housing has not been ruled out.
10. The playground and sports area will be on the roof of the primary school.
11. Note that the school is being built to accomodate 420 pupils. What has crept in is provision for a nursery area for an addition 80 pre primary age children, adding to the total of 360 primary (2 form entry, 30 each form = 60 x Years 1 - 6 =360).
On the consultation sheet, the first question asks about whether you approve or oppose the whole joint project. As most people agree with the polyclinic, saying you approve would indicate you support the building of a school as well, which for many people may not be the case. So this needs to be made clear in the comments box. The person who organised the document agreed that the question would lead to people inadvertantly agreeing to the school.
I have blind-copied this email as I don't want to assume that everyone is ok with email addresses being made public. I am sending this to OADRA committee, local neighbours and residents in my house, with a first copy to the OADRA email address.
Best wishes
Graham Goldspring
Acting Publicity Officer
To: OADRA
Subject: Stakeholders' meeting re Surbiton Hospital site
To Oakhill Residents.
I went to the stakeholders meeting at Surbiton Hospital on Tuesday regarding the proposed plans for the site. Below is a list of main points which I have gathered. Tracy Reader, who is the liaison person, is going to send me the meetings notes with questions and answers given at that meeting, which I will circulate on receipt.
1. The proposals for the polyclinic and the school is now a joint proposal.
2. The RBK executive committee approved the proposals at a meeting on 30 June. I spoke to Liz Green who is the Education for All councillor who was at that meeting and she said that this current consultation is about the building plans and not about whether a school is wanted or not - that was determined by the previous consultation in March - May which indicated that the majority of those who favoured school expansion wanted a school on the site. There was no data available to back this up.
3. Apparently, there has been a 30% rise in birth rate in the borough between 2003 and 2009 and in the last year an increase in 14% of 4 year olds.
4. The plan is that as this is a new school, the public will be 'educated' not to bring children to school by car as the catchment area ought to be within walking distance. There will be no parking for staff as the staff will be expected to walk, cycle or take public transport! Staff are not expected to carry marking and preparation material to and from school! The school will be an 'exemplar' school with these expectations from the start.
5. The polyclinic - all ground floor area will house 6-7 GP practices, with lifts to second floor for all diagnostic testing and treatments. List of these services yet to be clarified. Parking from the Ewell Road entrance only for polyclinic users.
6. A third traffic impact assessment is being carried out, working with TfL and the focus is to reduce impact of traffic.
7. Asked about the status of the project in the light of the proposed government cut backs and changes to NHS management, the cost will come from partly private sources and from within existing NHS funding, mainly from resources for existing services. A business case will be drawn up and presented by October but there is a commercial confidentiality legislation which makes it not possible to publish the detailed costs.
8. I asked Marcus Ballard who represents Lifco, the trust which is managing the development, about the future of No1 Oakhill (Elmside). He says it has a lower heritage status than No.3, which will be restored and used for flats. Therefore No.1 will be demolished "in the public interest" i.e. it gets in the way of getting the required area needed for a school.
9. The future of the Oakhill Health centre to be decided but use as a day care centre or sheltered housing has not been ruled out.
10. The playground and sports area will be on the roof of the primary school.
11. Note that the school is being built to accomodate 420 pupils. What has crept in is provision for a nursery area for an addition 80 pre primary age children, adding to the total of 360 primary (2 form entry, 30 each form = 60 x Years 1 - 6 =360).
On the consultation sheet, the first question asks about whether you approve or oppose the whole joint project. As most people agree with the polyclinic, saying you approve would indicate you support the building of a school as well, which for many people may not be the case. So this needs to be made clear in the comments box. The person who organised the document agreed that the question would lead to people inadvertantly agreeing to the school.
I have blind-copied this email as I don't want to assume that everyone is ok with email addresses being made public. I am sending this to OADRA committee, local neighbours and residents in my house, with a first copy to the OADRA email address.
Best wishes
Graham Goldspring
Acting Publicity Officer
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