~ Additional Log Style Cabin Nature Trails Children’s Nursery Design and Access Statement
Design
Use
This proposal is for an additional building
to provide further day care places for the existing Nature Trails Nursery at Cawston
Farm House. The nursery has a waiting
list for additional places and there is a substantial shortage of child day
care places within the local Bilton and Dunchurch Wards, particularly in the
older 3 – 5 year age group.
The additional provision would allow the
nursery to increase child care provision from the current 62 – 68 places to 88
places.
Supplemental to this document is the
Provision of Nursery Care statement, which gives details of the local need and
the extent of provision proposed with this new building.
Amount
The current area used by the nursery is 250
sq. m. and the proposed building would add an additional 90 sq. m. The new
building is similar in size and style to an existing log cabin, for which
planning permission was granted 04/07/2006 (Ref. R06/0954/PALB); see fig. 1
Layout
The proposed new cabin will adjoin the existing cabin at the South East end, running approximately in line with the
older building; see fig 2.
The existing log cabin has been built some
17m distance from the farm house buildings, within the former gardens of the
house. The proposed new building will sit behind the existing cabin, some 30m
removed from the nearest point of the farmhouse buildings.
Vehicle access is already provided to the
front of Cawston Farm House and the Nursery. Pedestrian and wheel chair access
is already in place to the end of the existing log cabin, where the entrance
for the new building will be formed.
A sewage pipe was laid to connect thecurrent log cabin to the farm house sewage system and septic tanks. The
proposed building will link into the recent pipe work laid to the SE end of the
current log cabin.
Scale
The proposed building will be of a similar
size and style to the existing log cabin. The current cabin provides 21 day
care places and the propose facility will offer a similar capacity.
The internal foot print of the proposed
building will be approximately 6.2 x 15.5m
The Cawston Farm House buildings sit on a
plot of approximately 0.6 hectacres, with the existing buildings occupying
approximately 10% of the land. The proposed building will take 1.5% more of the
space.
Landscaping
The existing log cabin and the proposed new
cabin are situated in the rear garden of the farm house, away from the main
road. To the east side of the garden is an open arable field with views across
to Lime Tree Village and Coventry Road. To the west side is a farm track and a
series of farm buildings.
The existing garden is predominantly open
grass lawn. Part of the proposed development will incorporate planting of New
Native Woodland, and a New Garden area at the south of the new cabin.
The nursery already emphasises the open air
and access to nature as a major aspect of its day care facility and the
positioning of the new cabin and the additional landscaping will further
enhance this experience.
Appearance
The proposed new structure is designed to
match in with the existing log cabin. The wall construction will be different.
The existing building uses solid round log construction, whereas the proposed
building will be timber frame construction with externally clad timber horizontal
boards that will tie in with the look of the existing cabin. The windows, doors
will be of timber construction. External wood surfaces will be treated with
stain to match the existing cabin.
The roof structure will use bitumen roofing
tiles as used on the existing log cabin, or standard roofing felt for flat roof
areas.
The south most facing roof of the proposed
cabin will have solar thermal panels.
Listed Building Status
The proposed new cabin, while in the
grounds of the listed Cawston Farm House building, is separate and apart from
the main building. The natural timber style has been chose to contrast with the
main farm house building but to compliment the garden landscape and the ethos
of Nature Trails Nursery
Access
Location
Nature Trails Nursery is on the south side
of Coventry Road, Cawston, approximately 700m SW of the roundabout that
provides access to the Cawston Grange estate, and approximately 600m NE of the
newly constructed Potsford’s Dam roundabout that marks the southern end of the
Western Relief Road. It is approximately 1.5km from the centre of Bilton and
2km from Dunchurch.
The nearest bus route runs to the
roundabout by Cawston Grange, i.e. 700m distance.
Vehicle Access
The original planning approval for the
nursery included the provision of an additional driveway from Coventry Road up
to the Cawston Farm House building, giving separate “In” and “Out” driveways
for all visitors. This allows cars coming to the nursery to turn off the main
road with relative ease, and then exit at a point where there is good
visibility of on-coming traffic.
When the nursery was opened in 2005 the
speed restriction on Coventry Road was 50 mph, but last year the speed limit
was reduced to 40 mph. In addition, it is anticipated that traffic volumes on
the Coventry Road will decrease when the Western Relief Road opens later this
year.
There is a good footpath from Bilton along
the Coventry Road.
Traffic to and from the Nursery
The nursery has current approved capacity for
68 children, and the proposed new cabin would allow capacity to rise to 88.
About 1/3rd of the children are siblings, and thus the number of
clients and related drop-off and pick-up visits per day is about 20% less than
the number of children.
About 90% of the clients come from Cawston
Grange, Bilton and Dunchurch, and of these about 10 families (15 children) walk
to and from the nursery.
Thus we have approximately 40-45 drop-off
client vehicle visits per day and a similar number for pick-up. This figure
would rise by 10-12 client vehicle visits with the proposed new cabin, i.e. 50
– 67 drop-off and pick-ups per day.
Client vehicle visits are extended over a
longer period compared to schools for older children, the core times being 8.00
to 9.30 am. and 4.00 to 6.30 pm. Generally we have a maximum of 10 - 12 client
vehicles stopping at one time during peak periods around 8 am. and 5 pm.
In addition to this we have staff arrivals
and departures for work, the majority of which occur before and after the peak
times, plus we have 2 -3 visitors per day.
Travel Plan
Nature Trails Nursery recognises the need
for many working parents to drop off and collect their children at the nursery
as they travel to and from work. The nursery is also committed to promoting
exercise and a healthy environment for children.
The aim of the proposed new cabin is to
provide much needed day care places for the local communities, minimising the
journeys for parents and consequent environmental impact.
The nursery has also drawn up a Travel Plan
with an appropriate Action Plan to encourage alternative ways of travel to and
from the nursery for parents, children and staff. Copies of these documents are
included in the Supporting Documents
Pedestrian and Wheel Chair Access
Pedestrian and wheel chair access is
already in place to the end of the existing log cabin, where the entrance for
the new building will be formed.
A disabled parking bay is situated by the
main entrance to the nursery.
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