PLANS have been submitted for 40 new houses to be built on the site of the former Upper School, Leazes Lane, Wolsingham.
The site is a parcel of land to the north west of Wolsingham town centre, approximately 140m north of Leazes Lane, directly to the north of Wolsingham Sports Complex and Swimming Pool. It was previously the site of part of Wolsingham Secondary School, with a range of buildings, schoolyards and a car park being sited here. However, following an extension to the main school building located approximately 190m to the south west, these buildings were surplus to requirement and have been demolished in recent years. The site has been left vacant since this time and grass has established across the site.
Most people in Weardale above a certain age will remember this school, were taught in it and the demountable classrooms to the rear: played games and sports in the grounds and remember the whole area with fondness. The new application for more houses in the town has angered many residents who have made statements to the local authority complaining about various aspects of it, not least worries over access along the narrow Leazes Lane approach, more impact on the Doctors’ surgery and the strain on the drainage system. This will be the third housing development in very recent times.
The application is seeking full planning permission for a proposed residential development comprising the forty dwellings with associated landscaping and drainage works, the creation of a new bus parking and turning area, and the widening of the existing access road. The proposed layout has been designed to achieve an outward facing development whilst respecting the established characteristics of the settlement. The proposed dwellings will be situated in the northern part of the site, accessed via a new road adjacent to Wolsingham Sports Complex which is situated to the south east. This road will fork off into three main clusters, one in the north western part of the site and the remaining two to the north east and south east. Between these clusters, the established tree belt will be retained, creating a separation in the built form and providing public open space.
These dwellings will be a mixture of house types and sizes. The proposed housing mix is for six two-bedroom, 16 three-bedroom, 16 four-bedroom and 15 five bedroom dwellings with parking spaces for over 100 vehicles.
After the controversial felling of the iconic cluster of mature trees that were on the former playing fields in 2018, the application seeks to ensure the retention of the vast majority of existing trees within the site boundary. This ensures the proposal will benefit from the established landscape screening by trees particularly along the northern and western boundaries and through the central belt of the main part of the site. This existing landscaping will be enhanced with additional planting, particularly in the southern part of the site adjacent to the new access and in the north eastern part of the wider site.
Access is proposed via the established access off Leazes Lane to the south west which currently serves the Wolsingham Sports Complex as well as being used by school buses for Wolsingham Comprehensive. The access off Leazes Lane will be widened to provide a minimum 5.5m wide carriageway from Leazes Lane through to the internal site layout. This will require the relocation of the pillars at the junction on to Leazes Lane and the widening of a short stretch of the existing section of carriageway adjacent to this entrance within the site.
A new road is proposed to the north of the aforementioned sports complex, in the location of the existing field entrance in the south western corner of the larger nethermost part of the site. This will then lead into the main part of the site before forking off to the proposed dwellings either side of the site. The access road proposed will be a two-way road and will be constructed to adoptable standards. To facilitate the safe access through the car park that serves the sports complex, this car park will be reconfigured to retain car parking spaces but also create a circular route for school buses to allow a drop off/waiting area and allow buses to then avoid having to turn around within the car park. This is an improvement to the existing layout which is less efficient.
The development incorporates drainage infrastructure to manage surface water. An attenuation pond will be installed adjacent to the new access track immediately to the north of the sports complex car park. This will then discharge to the existing drainage infrastructure on Leazes Lane to the south west of the site.
The consensus of opinion among local residents appears to be against the application and includes such as the following:
Wolsingham is a small village, but extremely popular because of its beauty and position in Weardale. House prices are already inflated and prohibit some village residents and younger people from buying in the village. Also people buy here for second homes which are empty a large proportion of the time. The volume of new houses, with an infrastructure that cannot support this, lead to a population that merely travel to and from work and take no part in village life. The school is a small, one form entry, therefore families with children are likely to need to travel elsewhere. The doctors surgery cannot support the current population, leading to reduced service. Widening the access road will impact on the properties and landscape in this very old part of the village, changing the appearance and environment. The village is more and more becoming a dormer village, sadly.
As far as the school itself is concerned, the current Head Teacher, Mr Mitchinson, has published a neutral statement in regard to the application.
He wrote: Wolsingham School welcomes the proposal of a development of houses on the unused old school upper site. As a school at the heart of Weardale for over 400 years, the possibility of an increase of families in the local area who would utilise the school can only be seen positively.
There are some concerns regarding the increase in traffic, during building work and then after the development is open, along Leazes Lane and into the leisure centre car park. Currently approx. 800 young people cross Leazes Lane to either walk home to residencies in Wolsingham or access the buses parked in the leisure centre car park, this occurs at the start and end of each school day. Over 90% of our students travel to school using buses. This is without a zebra or pelican crossing and currently requires school staff to ensure the safe crossing of students in a concentrated period.
The proposed bus parking arrangement would also mean reversing of buses to exit the leisure centre car park. This is an added concern that is currently not an issue in the car park. In such a congested area, of 9 buses being accessed by 700 young people, with added traffic coming and going from the proposed housing development, safety concerns for drivers and young pedestrians are very real. The school’s preference would be for a bus parking arrangement to be on the main school site on the land opposite the entrance to The Leazes houses.
Historical plans were drawn up when the school was redeveloped in 2016. Wolsingham school is willing to work in partnership with Chapter Homes to find a solution to this issue, including the possibility of matched funding to secure this proposal. This may also involve consultation with Sport England to ensure sports facilities are not affected, Wolsingham School would be keen to ensure that sporting facilities are enhanced for the benefit of our students, families and the wider local community. This could include the allocation of funding from Chapter Homes to upgrade or modernise the Sports Centre or Swimming pool in line with the loss of sports facilities that were located on the proposed housing development site.
The application can be viewed and commented upon at DM/26/01412/FPA | Erection of 40 dwellings with associated landscaping and drainage works, creation of new bus parking and turning area, and widening of existing access road | Site Of Former Wolsingham School And Commercial College Leazes Lane Wolsingham DL13 3DJ
