Land receipt
We have always focused on providing the landowner, Oaklands College, with a land receipt to help them fund: the redevelopment of the college, enhancement to the existing facilities and 16,211m2 of new educational buildings.
VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES JUSTIFIED FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREEN BELT
Oaklands Grange
Oaklands Grange sits within the Metropolitan Green Belt just outside St Albans. The development that was promoted in conjunction with Oaklands College secured funds for the redevelopment of college facilities as well as the provision of much needed homes for the community. Planning Permission was granted by the Secretary of State.
Affordable housing
Within our planning application we included 35% affordable housing provision in line with the adopted Council policy. This was considered to count in the scheme’s favour and ensured the viability of the development.
Economic benefits
The college plays a vital role in the local economy and employs 500 staff. The development provided substantial opportunity to invest in the social and community fabric of the district and ensure the continued enhancement of further education provision.
Planning designation
There are only a handful of planning permissions issued by the Secretary of State involving redevelopment of Green Belt land. These require very special circumstances to be demonstrated.
Planning application
Working closely with the landowner, we submitted our planning application for 348 homes and various new college buildings, such as student accommodation, class room space, workshops, a day nursery and a sports pavilion which was initially refused. Following an appeal and a public inquiry, approval was granted on the basis the significant educational benefits and much needed housing would outweigh the harm to the Green Belt.
Community engagement
Consulting and working collaboratively with the public and interested parties, we have made design choices to protect the outlook and amenity of neighbours due to the sensitive location of the site in Metropolitan Green Belt.
Delivery
Due to the funding of the College campus proposals and the need to keep the College buildings operational, it is necessary to phase the development over a period of six years. Phase 1 is already under way.
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