Kneller Hall Planning Application to be Decided

The application to decide the future of the Kneller Hall Site will be heard by the Richmond Planning Committee on Wednesday 21 May.

The Lost Park

The Lib Dem Kneller Hall Supplementary Planning Document outlined a vision for the site, which was to ‘become a distinctive, residential quarter,’ alongside a publicly accessible Park, responding to Whitton’s lack of accessible green spaces and would support travel by sustainable modes to reduce its impact in relation to congestion, air pollution and climate change.

Instead the proposal is for the creation of a new Private School to serve students from years 7 to 13. The school will initially serve 520 students and 100 staff members, rising to 1,000 students and 170 staff members by 2030.  Sports facilities will include a 3G pitch on Metropolitan Open Land, outdoor sports pitches and an indoor swimming pool, alongside other sports and leisure facilities.

A community use agreement will manage community access to facilities. An associated timetable states that site facilities will be accessible from 6pm to 8.30pm on weekdays, at weekends in the morning and during school holidays. Access will be managed via established groups and sports clubs and not open to the general public.

Traffic and Transport

A key concern relates to the large catchment area of the school and the pressure this will place on the transport network, including roads and pavements.  

A council transport officer raised concerns that congestion, outside the entrance of the proposed new school at Kneller Hall on Warren Road, could be significant and could increase the likelihood of vehicular collisions.

In addition the planning reports states that the Rugby Road junction and A316 roundabouts will exceed capacity, without mitigation and TFL has accepted a contribution of £230,000 per year for the first three years towards buses and school travel planning in response.

To further ease the impact on the road an additional right had turn car lane will be added outside the entrance along Warren Road, by reducing the width of the pavement on the northside of Warren Road. Vehicles will also only be allowed to turn left out of the entrance and head eastbound, which will be enforced by a camera.

In conclusion the planning reports states that ‘In this case, there is no doubt the scheme will increase trips on the highway network and bus service, and there will be a notable impact. However, with mitigation, as agreed with the applicant, the impact is not deemed to be severe.’