Agenda item

Erection of footbridge over existing public footpath on land adjacent to St Olave’s Prep school. [Clifton Ward]

Members considered a Full Application, submitted by The Bursar, St Olaves School, for the erection of a footbridge over an existing footpath on land adjacent to St Olaves’s Prep School.

Officers updated with a précis of a letter received from Philip Crowe, a resident of Clifton, which raised a number of concerns regarding the proposal, a full copy of the letter was circulated to Members at the meeting together with photographs of the site. Officers also confirmed that the bridge was 3.8 metres to the top of the handrail and not 4.8 metres as stated in the report and that the word “no” should be inserted prior to the words “direct correlation” in the last sentence of par 4.11.

Representations in support of the application were received from the applicants Architect who referred to Members concerns, raised at the site meeting, that the bridge should not be accessible from the underside and that he was happy for this to be conditioned. He confirmed that wheelchair bound students would be unable to access or descend the bridge so they would continue to use the coded access gate accompanied by staff. He felt that the bridge was of an interesting contemporary design, which would preserve the Conservation Area.

Cllr Scott, as Ward Member, indicated that he supported the application, his only concern being the comments of the Clifton Planning Panel. Local opinion had generally been favourable towards the design of the bridge, which he felt would add to the Conservation Area.  He confirmed that the school had assured him that they did not intend to apply for the closure of this footpath and that they proposed to close the North Parade entrance to the school which would improve the traffic situation in the area.

Officers confirmed that they had no information that the school proposed to close the Queen Anne’s entrance. Members expressed their concerns that the bridge would be visually intrusive in the Conservation Area, that the lighting would have an adverse impact in the rural setting and that the proposed segregation of pupils was unacceptable. Concerns were also raised that the development and under grounding of the electricity cables would affect the mature Sycamore tree.

RESOLVED:                        That the application be refused.

REASON:                    The proposed footbridge will have an adverse impact on the character of the Clifton Conservation Area. This is by virtue of its poor design and appearance and general visual presence which will enclose views along the public footpath over which the footbridge would span. This will have an adverse impact on the rural setting and generally open character of the Conservation area at this point and as a consequence would have an adverse impact on views both into and out of the Conservation area. The loss of two trees within the grounds of St. Peter's School which further contribute to the character of the Conservation Area will also affect the setting and character of the area. The proposal is therefore considered contrary to advice and guidance in PPG15 (Planning and the Historic Environment) and to Policies HE2 (Development in Historic Locations) and HE3 (Conservation areas) of the City of York Draft Local Plan incorporating the 4th set of changes approved April 2005.

 2            The proposed lighting on and around the footbridge will have an adverse impact on the amenity of neighbours by virtue of unacceptable levels of light pollution into and around the nearest residential properties on North Parade. The additional levels of lighting will also have an adverse impact on the generally open character and appearance of the area by virtue of increased levels of lighting in the area. This is considered contrary to Policies GP1 (Design) part f and HE2 (Development in Historic Locations) of the City of York Draft Local Plan incorporating the 4th set of changes approved April 2005.