HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
CABINET
MONDAY 11 JULY 2005 AT 2.00 P.M.
HAZELGROVE SCHOOL SITE, HATFIELD
Report of the Corporate Director (People and Property)
Author: Colin Cooper, Principal Estates Officer, Hertfordshire Property
Tel: 01992 588114
Executive Member:- David Beatty
Local Member:- Stuart Pile
- Purpose of report
To consider the future of the site of the former HazelgroveSchool, Hatfield.
- Summary
2.1Cabinet agreed on 15 March, 2004 to close the former Hazelgrove and FiveOaksPrimary Schools and consolidate them onto the Five Oaks site to form what is now called De Havilland Primary School.
2.2The proposal has been implemented and the Hazelgrove site vacated at the end of January 2005.
2.3There is no County Council requirement for the re-use of the existing school buildings.
2.4Two County Council proposals have come forward to re-use parts of the site of the current school buildings for the construction of:-
(a)a family assessment centre to replace the existing facility in New Road, Hertford and
(b)a new supported housing scheme for adults with learning disability.
2.5Disposal of the site of the school buildings would produce capital receipts ranging from £1.66m to £0.87m dependent upon how much of the school building site is retained for the above identified uses.
2.6The playing fields need to be retained as a contingency for use by local schools until the current deficiency in playing fields at certain local schools is met.
3.Conclusion
3.1To enable redeployment of the former HazelgroveSchool site, Cabinet is invited to:-
(a)Confirm the retention of the playing fields until there is no longer a deficiency of playing fields for local schools.
(b)Authorise the sale of the school buildings area but subject to the retention of suitable landparcels for:-
(i)the replacement of the family assessment centre currently operating in New Road, Hertford, and
(ii) the construction of a supported housing scheme for adults with learning disability.
4.Background
4.1At the meeting on 15 March 2004, Cabinet agreed to the Director of Children, Schools and Families proposal to close Five Oaks and HazelgrovePrimary Schools and create a new school on the site of FiveOaksSchool.
4.2The new school, De Havilland Primary School, became operational with effect from September 2004. The school worked on split sites until the refurbishment building work was complete at the end of January 2005.
4.3The Hazelgrove site was then temporarily re-used by CSF Service for the education of one of the year groups from BoxmoorHouseEBDSchool. That use ceases at the end of the current academic year.
4.4The Hazelgrove site comprises a purpose-built single storey primary school constructed some 35 years ago, together with grass playing fields. The total site area amounts to some 1.62 hectares (3.99 acres) splitbetween the site of the existing buildings of some 0.68 hectares (1.68 acres) and the playing fields of 0.94 hectares (2.31 acres).
4.5The availability of this site has been circulated within the County Council in accordance with the approved re-use and rationalisation process.
4.6 No service bids were received for re-use of the school buildings but two potential uses have come forward to re-use some of the site.
5.Re-use bids
5.1Part for replacement of the Family Assessment Centre, New Road, Hertford.
5.1.1The CSF Service capital programme has allocated £650,000 to a project for the replacement of the family assessment centre which currently operates out of two converted houses at 14/16 New Road, Hertford.
5.1.2The existing premises are no longer suitable for use as a family assessment centre and a location in the central part of the County would meet service aspirations as this is a countywide service.
5.1.3Vacation of the New Road Hertford site would release for disposal a site which would generate an estimated capital receipt of £600,000.
5.1.4The family assessment centre would use 0.16 hectares (0.40 acres) of part of the site of the area covered by the existing school buildings.
5.2Part for Supported housing scheme for adults with a learning disability.
5.2.1The Learning Disability Housing and Support Strategy envisages the creation of 40 additional places per annum of accommodation for this client group.
5.2.2Department of Health capital funding of £370,000 has been secured towardsthe provision 6 places of accommodation for adults with learning disability with high-care needs.
5.2.3The facility is a countywide function and therefore a central location such as Hatfield is ideal.
5.2.4 This use would require some 0.16hectares (0.40 acres) of part of the site currently covered by the school buildings.
5.2.5The estimated cost of the new building is £1.1m and consideration is being given as to the appropriate building procurement method. The options available are either a)to work with a housing association that might be able to raise capital finance from Housing Corporation grant and from the income stream produced from the rent generated by letting the accommodation to the clients or b) for the County Council to construct the building itself as part of its capital programme.
5.2.6 Housing Corporation grant for this type of scheme has been very limited over the last year and there is a high level of uncertainty as when or if, Corporation grant might be forthcoming. Therefore, as a contingent position, Adult Care Services has secured in the County Council’s capital programme £750k spread over the 2005/6 and 2006/7 financial years in order to ensure the scheme is fully funded and the DoH grant not lost.
5.3Retention of the playing field for use by other schools.
5.3.1There are some local County Council schools which, when compared to the appropriate standards, have a deficiency in the amount of their playing fields.
5.3.2This deficiency could be addressed by retaining the existing playing field of Hazelgrove and making the ready made playing field available for school use.
6.Town planning
6.1Redevelopment of the site of the existing school buildings, having an area of some 0.68 hectares (1.68 acres), for residential development is considered to be consistent with the relevant national and local planning policies
6.2Re-use of part of the site of the existing buildings for a family assessment centre and a supported housing scheme is also consistent with local and national policies
6.3There are policies in the emerging Local Plan seeking to resist the loss of existing playing field.
7.Redeployment principles
7.1The principles that the County Council adopts are:-
- To meet services property needs identified in service property priorities.
- A presumption of disposal of property no longer required for the County Council’s own use.
- All genuinely surplus property to be disposed as quickly and efficiently as possibly.
- Not to dispose of surplus property which may have strategic future importance?
7.2Hazelgrove site does not have strategic importance.
7.3Part of the land may help meet service needs identified in service property priorities.
8.0Service Property Priorities
Family Assessment.
8.1The need to relocate this facility has been identified as a priority with a strong business casewhich has resulted in funding being allocated in the CSF capital programme
Adult Care Services supported housing for adults with learning disability.
8.2The Housing Strategy for People with Learning Disability sets a target of growth of 40 places per year to meet an identified need. This particular scheme would help meet this growth target and meet a specialised need. The prioritisation of capital funding emphasis the importance that is placed by the service on this particular scheme.
9.Financial Implications
9.1The town planning policies relating to the site mean that the playing field has very limited value.
9.2The estimated capital receipt that could be generated from the sale of the existing school buildings assuming that planning permission for residential development is forthcoming without any onerous conditions is £1.66m.
9.3The estimated capital receipt from the sale of the site of the school buildings but with retention of a site for the family assessment centre amounts to £1.10m. but this option would release the existing family centre for disposal realising an estimated £0.60m.
9.4The estimated capital receipt from the sale of the site of the school buildings but with a site retained for supported housing scheme amounts to £1.03m
9.5The estimated capital receipt from the sale of the site of the school buildings but with sites retained for both supported housing and family assessment centre amounts to £0.87m. The existing family centre would be released generating a capital receipt of £0.60m if that site is sold.
9.6The Appendix sets out in a table the estimated capital receipts from each option.
10.Options
10.1Sell the whole of the site of the existing school buildings. The effect of this will be:-
- Produces the second highest capital receipt.
- Does not meet the County Council service aspirations.
- There will still be the need to identify siteselsewhere in the County in order to meet service property priorities.
10.2Retain a site against future use for relocation of the family assessment centre and dispose of the rest of the site of the school buildings. The effect of this will be:-
- Produces the highest capital receipt if the potential to dispose of the existing family centre is taken into account.
- Achieves service aims.
10.3Retain a site for a supported housing scheme and dispose of the remainder of the site of the school buildings. The effect of this will be:-
- Lowest capital receipt.
- Achieve service objectives.
- Makes best use of time Department of Health funding.
10.4Retain sites for both a children’s home and a supported housing scheme and dispose of the remainder of the site of the school buildings. The effect of this will be:-
- Produces the third best capital receipt.
- Meets service objectives.
APPENDIX
Estimated Capital Receipts
Option / Description / Remarks / Capital Receipts£m
1 / Sell the whole of the site with no land retained for service use / 1.66
2 / Retain land for family assessment centre and sell the remainder / £1.1m generated from the sale of the surplus land plus another £0.6m from the sale existing family centre. Some affect on value due to the use of the retained land is reflected in the estimate. / 1.7
3 / Retain land for supported housing scheme and sell the remainder / Some affect on value due to the use of the retained land is reflected in the estimate. / 1.03
4 / Retain land for both a family centre and supported housing scheme / £0.87 produced from the sale of the surplus land plus another £0.6m from the sale of the existing family centre. Some affect on value due to the use of the retained land is reflected in the estimate. This estimate makes no allowance for affordable housing as the reduced site area is below the threshold. / 1.47
050711 hazelgrove school site
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