A plan to change the use of the former Wind in the Willows Children’s Day Nursery at Woolston into a State-funded Social, Emotional and Mental Health School has been approved by Warrington planners.
The school on Gordon Avenue, Woolston, Warrington, will cater for a maximum of 20 students aged between 10–16-years old with up to 8 members of staff. The opening hours of the school would be 08.00 – 1600 Monday to Friday.
Prior to the commencement of the use of the site as a state-funded school, the existing gates across the access to the car park shall be removed. No gates or other means of obstruction shall be placed across the vehicular access to allow free access and egress from the site and prevent undue congestion on Gordon Avenue, in the interests of road safety.
Prior to the commencement of the use of the site a Parking Strategy must also be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. For the avoidance of doubt the Parking Strategy shall address, but not be restricted to, the scheduling of drop-off and collection of pupils; allocation of spaces, dwell times, and removal of unauthorised vehicles.
For the avoidance of doubt the plan should ensure no more than 10 drop-off or pick up movements occur in any half hour period.
The use of the site shall be carried out in accordance with the approved Parking Strategy and the areas set aside for parking indicated on the approved Proposed Site plan shall be retained without obstruction in perpetuity. This is to ensure that adequate provision is made on the site for the traffic generated by the development, including allowance for safe circulation, manoeuvring, loading and unloading of vehicles as well as parking.
The application relates to a building, originally built to provide Woolston Library, but within most recent use as the ‘Wind in the WIllows’ children’s day nursery.
The new occupier of the site would be a Social, Emotional and Mental Health School offering places to up to 20 children aged between 10 and 16 years of age. Students will be children whose needs can’t be satisfied by placement in mainstream schooling.
Due to the specialist nature of education provided, students are unlikely to just be from the immediate geographical area. Funding is provided on a per child basis by the Local Authority from where they originate.
It is noted that this is a resubmission of a previous application. Under this new application the number of proposed pupils has reduced from 50 to 20 children, aged 10-16 years. The Local Highways Authority and Environmental Protection team have reassessed the proposed change of use on this basis.
In the short term it is proposed that no external alterations will be undertaken to the main building, except routine maintenance and decoration. Some changes will be undertaken internally, but these will involve the sub-division of currently open plan areas to form classrooms and alterations to existing sanitary provision to age-appropriate facilities.
The provision of a specialist education setting will satisfy a growing need for places for students whose needs are not met by mainstream schooling, and who are too often neglected entirely or placed in environments with students who have more severe learning or physical difficulties.
The application has been approved by Warrington Borough Council planners under delegated powers.
