The planning agent acting on behalf of Ryde School has lodged an appeal against the decision by the Isle of Wight Council Planning Committee to refuse an application to build a new boarding accommodation building.
Those objecting to the application were delighted at the Planning Committee’s decision and stated on the night their hopes for the school to “take a completely different path”.
“Highly sympathetic” design
In her appeal, the planning agent, Martha James, explains,
“This application was refused in the Planning Committee despite being recommended for approval by the Council’s own officers, and being fully compliant with national and local policy.
“An extensive investigation of the conservation area and local listed buildings led to a quality design which was highly sympathetic to the scale and materials of other buildings in the area.
“The design of the proposed building was further modified according to the wishes of Council planning officers before submission. As Paragraph 188 of the NPPF states, ‘Good quality pre-application discussion enables better coordination between public and private resources and improved outcomes for the community’.”
Agent: “Improving the Conservation area”
Martha went on to say,
“Just as with the teaching block to the Queen’s Road side of the school site which was allowed at appeal, the proposed boarding house is designed to meet modern educational requirements.
“A new building directly on the school site would eliminate journeys from the existing boarding house, improving the conservation area by reducing motor traffic at the peak times of the daily school run.
“Ryde features an eclectic mixture of buildings, some modern, and some ordinary. With most properties orientated to face the Solent, a new building of three storeys some distance from the seafront would barely be noticeable by most residents once the tree planting proposed in the application became mature, as the Council officer’s own report says.”
How to comment
Residents have until 22nd December to comment on the appeal. The Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, will determine the appeal.
Should you wish to make comments (or modify / withdraw a previous representation), you can do so on the Planning Portal or by emailing [email protected]
Thanks to the spokesperson from Ryde Against Boarding House (RABH) group for the heads-up.
Image: © Martha James BA Hons PG Dip MRTPI
