8 Education

8 Education 8.1 It is vital that necessary infrastructure and services, including education, are integrated into new developments. Proposals must address such requirements for new and improvements to infrastructure directly through on-site provision or through the Community Infrastructure Levy which applies to certain forms of new development. 8.2 Where education provision is required on -site, this may be in the form of a new education facility or the expansion of an existing facility. Site -specific comments on the housing site allocation policies identify where housing sites would be required to contribute to meeting education needs through the provision of a new facility or the expansion of an existing facility. 8.3 In addition to the housing sites which would be required to provide education facilities, there is a site which has been allocated for a secondary school located to the northeast of Carpenders Park (ED1). Hertfordshire County Council is responsible for the provision of schools in the district and has identified a need for a secondary school facility in this location in order to serve the future secondary education needs of the education catchment area (including Carpenders Park, South Oxhey and Eastbury in Three Rivers as well as areas in the Hertsmere and Watfor d Boroughs).The district has education facilities with capacity for either extensions to existing schools or the building of new schools. The remainder of land, for example at Long Lane, has been retained as an education allocation in the Plan to facilitate a new secondary school (or expansion of the Reach Free School) to meet additional demand arising from new development in the west of the district. This has been given the site reference ED2. 8.4 The pre-existing Site Allocations LDD (adopted 2014) allocated a site reference S(c) (Woodside Road, Abbots Langley), for primary education, however, this has not yet commenced. As such, this allocation has been retained within this Local Plan and given the site reference ED3. 8.5 The Education Allocations policy and education site allocation policies can be seen below. Education Allocations 1) Three Rivers District Council will continue to work with the County Council, adjoining authorities and other interested parties to identify the most appropriate sites to meet identified educational needs. 2) Identified education sites for new primary or secondary schools will be safeguarded for educational use. Site Ref ED1 Site Carpenders Park Farm, Oxhey Lane Size (ha): 8.2 Current Use Agricultural Proposed Use Secondary education Green Belt The site is in the Green Belt Phasing 1-10 years Comments The site is suitable to accommodate up to a 10 form entry secondary school. A detailed heritage impact assessment and an archaeological assessment would be required prior to any development in order to protect and mitigate any potential adverse impacts to heritage assets. Development would need to satisfactorily address surface water flood risk on the site by providing suitable mitigation. Measures to avoid adverse impacts and enhance biodiversi ty would need to be provided due to the location of a Local Wildlife Site which is adjacent to the site. Maps provided by Cadent Gas shows Low/Medium pressure gas pipes in the vicinity of the site (west of the site along edge of Oxhey Lane) and it is likely that there are gas services and associated apparatus in the vicinity so their presence should be anticipated. This does not prevent development of the site but will require an appropriate buffer from the pipeline to development and is an issue to be addressed at the planning application stage. Site Ref ED2 Site Land including and adjoining The Reach Free School Size (ha): 19.3ha Current Use Secondary School & associated land and agricultural land Proposed Use Secondary education Green Belt The southern section of the site is not located within the Green Belt. The remainder of the site is in the Green Belt. Phasing 1-10 years Comments To the southwest of the site is the Reach Free Secondary School. The school and ancillary uses including playing fields and car park form an approximate “L” shape from the western boundary to the southeastern boundary of the site . The remainder of the site is currently agricultural land. The entire parcel of land within the red line boundary is being allocated to safeguard future secondary education use either via the expansion of The Reach Free School (additional 4FE) or the construction of a new secondary school. Site Ref. ED3 Site Woodside Road, Abbots Langley Size (ha): 2.5ha Current Use Agricultural Proposed Use Primary education Green Belt The site is in the Green Belt. Phasing 1-10 years Comments The site is a pre-existing education allocation from the Site Allocations LDD (adopted 2014). The site is allocated for primary edu