https://theromileygazette.substack.com/publish/posts/published
4th January 2026
North Reddish residents were promised a lot when the new primary school was built at Harcourt Street in 2011: modern classrooms, state-of-the-art facilities, and replacement recreational spaces for the community. More than a decade later, it is painfully clear that one promise was never kept—the community lost 14,600 square metres of local open space, and no replacement public sporting facilities were delivered, despite both planning policy and Sport England guidance.
The Harcourt Street development shows the danger of prioritising capital projects over community needs. While the school may serve its pupils well inside the classroom, outside, the local population has been shortchanged. Informal recreation, walking spaces, and local team sports—all once part of the Harcourt Street site—have been lost, and the promised replacement facilities never materialised.
This is not just a local grievance; it is a lesson for councils, planners, and developers across Stockport. Public open space is finite and irreplaceable. Communities rely on it for health, exercise, and social cohesion. Procedural shortcuts and unfulfilled promises erode trust and leave residents feeling cheated.
The Council must acknowledge the failings of the Harcourt Street project. While we cannot undo the past, it is not too late to commit to real replacement recreational facilities elsewhere in North Reddish and ensure future developments respect both the needs of children in schools and the wider community.
North Reddish deserves a fair deal. The community deserves its lost green space to be properly replaced. Let this be a warning: planning decisions must balance education, development, and public recreation—not sacrifice one for the other.
JUSTIFICATION FOR DEVELOPING LOCAL OPEN SPACE FOR NEW NORTH REDDISH
PRIMARY SCHOOL (PLANNING APPLICATION REF: DC02357)
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Context
The planning application was submitted in September 2006 and has been delayed following
negotiations with Sport England on the provision of additional community sport and recreation
facilities on the Harcourt Street site. We had understood that those issues were resolved
through revised plans submitted in January 2007 and formally resubmitted in April 2007. We
now understand that further issues have been raised by the planning policy team regarding the
loss of local open space at Harcourt Street and you have therefore requested further
justification on the mitigation and our case. We also understand that you are treating this
application as a departure to the Stockport UDP, based on the requirements of Policy UOS1.3,
which seeks to protect local open space and which states:
“Within areas of Local Open Space development will not be permitted unless:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
It is clearly needed in connection with the outdoor recreational use of the land
or is otherwise appropriate to the maintenance of the open nature of the land,
and it would clearly enhance the overall quality of Local Open Space provision
in the area; or
It can be demonstrated that there is an adequate provision of open space in
the local area and that the loss of the site would not be detrimental to the well
being of the community or the amenities of the area; or
The open space that would be lost as a result of the proposed development
would be replaced by open space of equivalent or better quantity, quality,
usefulness, and attractiveness, in a location at least as accessible to current
and potential users.”
We note that the application site at Harcourt Street has a dual allocation for both local open
space as well as being reserved for the primary school under Policy CTF1.3. This policy
states:
“CTF1.3 PROPOSED SCHOOL SITE, NORTH REDDISH
Land is reserved to provide for the construction of a new primary school off Harcourt
Street.”
The justification to this policy explains that “The existing junior school is substandard and will
be replaced as soon as Council resources permit”. We understand that this School allocation
has been in successive Council Local Plans and Unitary Development Plans since the early
1980s.
We have argued that as a dual allocation, the logic suggests that the Council, the community
and various Planning Inspectors considering the Council’s local and unitary development
plans, have already considered the impact of developing the new School on local open space
at this site. Policy CTF1 confirms the importance for the Council to enable adequate provision
to be made for community facilities to meet the needs of the borough’s population. The
explanation to that policy states that “Special consideration should be given to the differing
needs of particular groups within the population”.
1.5
2.1
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
However, the Council’s policy officers have requested that, notwithstanding the dual allocation
for the proposed School and the designation of it as open space, the applicant needs to
consider the policy which requires replacement of the lost open space in a convenient location
and to an equivalent value. We do not necessarily agree with the interpretation, as we place
significant weight on policy CTF1.3, as well as the informal agreement reached with Sport
England regarding the enhanced and extended recreational facilities proposed at the Harcourt
Street site, and conclude that we have competing UDP policies which have to be balanced in
this case.
Justification
Given the policy context, we have reconsidered the local open space policy and set out a
detailed response below. We consider that the dual allocation means that the plan is pulling in
different ways. The new proposed new educational facility complies fully with one UDP Policy
(CTF1.3) as well as providing in the best way possible the means to enhance the quality of
recreational provision in line with Policy UOS1.3. In not providing the physical quantum of
recreational space to replace that lost at Harcourt Street to the proposed new School, we are
departing from the policy UOS1.3, but we argue that the new School would result in positive
community benefits in educational terms and also in recreational terms by meeting the
underlying qualitative and accessibility aims of the policy. We believe that the Council has to
balance the Community educational needs with the recreational needs, and the specific
requirement to quantitatively replace lost local open space. We believe that the new School is
so essential that it should override this part of the policy, particularly as the package of
qualitative recreational enhancements proposed go as far as is possible to outweigh the
physical loss of open space.
The Proposed New School is an Essential Educational Requirement
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) has a statutory duty to ensure that high
standards of education are provided as efficiently and effectively as possible for all the children
of Stockport. It is a low funded Authority and it is essential that we ensure best value in this
provision.
Stockport has been granted funding from the DfES specifically to build a new primary school in
the North Reddish area. The DFES has recognised this need in prioritising funding for
Stockport. SMBC is committed to developing a state of the art new building which will provide
significant benefits to the children who currently attend Fir Tree Primary School, North Reddish
Infant and North Reddish Junior and to future pupils.
The three existing school buildings all have significant constraints which impact on their ability
to provide 21st century education. The two North Reddish schools were built at the turn of the
century (1907) at a time when educational provision was radically different. The Fir Tree
primary school site was built in the 1950s and was refurbished in October 2004 with a view
that this would be a temporary measure pending the provision of a new school. There remain
significant underlying structural issues which would require substantial expenditure, probably
within a 5 year timescale. Suitability surveys for each of the schools indicated that all have
some rooms or areas that impact on teaching methods and current curriculum delivery that
inhibit the management and organisation of the school, and adversely affect pupil and staff
morale.
The North Reddish schools have very limited external play / sports areas. Within the schools
foot print there are no playing fields, no nature areas for environmental studies, and limited
safety surfaces. Access to structured outdoor activities is restricted and does not meet new
statutory requirements. Whilst both schools do access the Harcourt Street site for some
recreational activities this has to be planned, has timetabling implications and involves pupils
having to leave the school site.
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
3.10
The Junior school has no disabled toilets; its hall forms the circulation area for the majority of
the class bases. The thoroughfare causes disruption to learning taking place in the hall. Noise
from activities in the hall such as music lessons or the weekly toddler class can be heard in the
classrooms which inhibit class room learning. One of the rooms size is significantly reduced
due to the split level of the workable floor area, and the old staging within the room can be
hazardous.
In both the Reddish schools the staff and administration space is too small for the number of
staff. The number of staff using this room has almost doubled since the school was first
opened because of the expansion of the staffing numbers and the increase in the appointment
of teaching assistants and other support staff. Because of the unavailability of other dedicated
rooms, the staff room doubles up for SEN provision. In the infant school, because there are no
small rooms for group work or meeting areas. Agencies such as Social services, when
discussing confidential issues have to meet in the staff room which obviously restricts access
by other staff. The issue of staff parking is very problematic at these sites with no dedicated
staff parking and very limited off site parking which can be disruptive for neighbours.
In North Reddish Junior school the kitchen is small and this restricts the opportunity for it to
operate successfully to accommodate design, science and food preparation sessions. This can
impact on curriculum opportunities. Because the infant school does not have an operational
kitchen the food has to be cooked in the junior school and taken by trolley across the play
ground. This adversely affects the management and organisation of the school.
Both the North Reddish schools utilise temporary mobile classrooms which are in a poor
condition and coming to the end of their economic life. The junior school mobile was one that
was originally used by a secondary school. Mobile classrooms are generally affected by noise
because of the floor construction. Both the schools have very poor storage. For example in the
infant school because the corridors are used for teaching purposes, coats and bags are stored
in the classrooms, which impacts on the availability of teaching space. It also has health and
safety implications. The lack of a dedicated IT suite means that lessons often have to take
place in the corridors where PCs are temporarily based. Similarly corridors are used as break
out areas for a targeted support to small groups of children.
It is recognised that in the Infant school the majority of the classrooms are too small for the
number of children in the class. Two very small class rooms struggle to provide the varied and
different activities which are now required for this age group, such as role play areas, sand and
wet play areas. Due to the age and original design of the building certain features such as the
tiles come half way up the wall which prevents any displays being placed at the right height for
children to see. There are also significant ventilation issues because of the old windows which
result in extreme temperatures
In terms of delivery of the government requirements for extended schools, the lack of space for
community use has a serious negative impact. The North Reddish infant school would like to
bring an external provider into to the school to run pre and after school clubs, but there is no
space to store the provider’s equipment. North Reddish junior school has to vacate a
classroom when it runs support sessions for parents to teach them additional mathematics.
This certainly restricts the promotion of more classes, continuing education and support
opportunities for parents, carers and the wider community. There are no spaces to offer
medical examination etc.
3.11
3.12
3.13
3.14
3.15
3.16
In all three schools it is likely that in the next 5- 10 years there will be rewiring work required,
alongside maintenance to the roofs. This is likely to be expensive due to the listed status of the
North Reddish schools. The boiler at Fir Tree School is in poor condition and there is asbestos
underneath the floor. The new regulations for underground ventilation will also have to be met.
The boiler at North Reddish Infant school uses oil and there have been problems in the past
where deliveries to the site have been prevented by parking on the surrounding road. There is
no doubt that due to the age of the buildings they are inefficient in terms of energy use.
Pupil projections do not support a need for three schools in the area by 2010. Over the years
the number of pupils attending these schools in North Reddish has declined significantly.
There has been a 25% reduction in the total numbers on roll since 2002/2003. Unless
something is done the viability of the schools is increasingly under question.
The benefits of one new school to replace the existing three include a drive to maintain and
improve standards, through clear leadership and progression across the three key stages;
consistent curriculum development and policies, an up to date flexible educational
environment, multi-agency support packages, integrated early education, child care, and
health and family support services that will address the wider needs of children and families in
the area.
The current DFES requirements to provide extended school provision are currently thwarted by
an absence of dedicated space. This restricts the existing school ambitions to provide services
that are based on the wider needs of the child, namely their social needs, their health and well
being needs and their opportunities to play a more positive role in their community The
extended schools agenda clearly puts schools at the heart of their communities but this cannot
be secured if there are inadequate facilities which prohibit active and sustained engagement
with parents, carers and the wider community. The proposed new School will operate five days
a week (Mon-Fri) from 08.00 to 18.00, but with extended hours up to 21.00 for parents’
classes, continuing education programmes and providing an important resource for ongoing
community support and advice. There will be opportunities to use the School at weekends,
particularly the changing facilities which will support the use of the playing field for formal
sports.
The enhanced provision offered by the new school will include early assessment and
intervention programmes, learning mentor facilities for behaviour support work, flexible
classroom areas, parenting support and advice. Wrap around services will include breakfast
clubs, homework support and life long learning opportunities for parents, carers and the wider
communities. Staff will benefit from the innovative accommodation by having dedicated
administrative and IT facilities for Planning Preparation Activities (PPA), classroom assistants
and specialist peripatetic staff who will be able to provide wider support. There will also be a
new informal setting for visiting agencies to work in a targeted manner with children. There will
be integrated facilities for children with learning difficulties and disabilities. In addition the site
will benefit from having a new Children’s Centre so we will be providing a high quality
personalised learning environment for children aged 0-11.
Children with additional needs will benefit from quiet rooms, spaces for focussed one to one
emotional and behavioural support and nurture areas. Enrichment activities will be provided for
those children who are under achieving. Specific support from social workers, education
welfare officers and outreach staff will be available for those families who may have ongoing
social or emotional difficulties and problems. The strong engagement and inclusion activities
for parents, carers and the wider family networks will enhance community cohesion and
support the regeneration of the North Reddish area.
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
5.1
Enhancement and Increased Community Use of Harcourt Street/Mill Lane Local Open
Space
The existing formal recreational facility at the Harcourt Street local open space is a marked out
junior playing pitch with football posts, on a sloping site running north to south. This is used by
the North Reddish Infants and Junior Schools as its School open space (albeit separated from
the School) and jointly by the community. The only formal community use of the space is by
one Junior Football Team, Reddish North End Junior Football Club, through SMBC, on
alternate weeks for 17 weeks over a 34 week season which runs from August to April. The hire
consists of pitch only facilities. The remaining use of the open space is informal for walking and
casual recreation.
As stated above and elsewhere as part of the application submissions, the new recreational
facilities at Harcourt Street, include for a newly laid out sports pitch (replacing the one that is
lost), a new multi use games area which is suitable for a range of sports, the addition of
changing facilities with access to the Community for formal sports use including space for
officials, new netball courts and tennis courts within the school, the landscaping works to deal
with formalising footpath routes and planting to improve the visual appearance of the
remaining open space area in community use.
The proposed replacement grass playing pitch has been shown to be provided with a new pipe
drainage system together with slit drains installed. NPS Stockport Ltd has accepted a
suggested planning condition (based on Sport England requirements) requiring the submission
of details and agreement of the local planning authority for the detailed layout and a
maintenance regime for the proposed playing pitch, prior to the occupation of the school. This
will cover sub-soil and topsoil make up, provide longitudinal sections and cross pitch gradients,
the grass mix, mowing, fertiliser application, seeding and measures to maintain the drainage
systems and to avoid bare patches of soil. The quality of this pitch will therefore be of a much
higher specification than the current open space.
The submitted plans now show a fenced multi-use games area (MUGA), a netball court and a
netball/tennis court. All of which will be made available for community use. The officials
changing room will be designed to allow access for disabled officials and access to a disabled
toilet incorporated into the proposals in close proximity further up the corridor. The internal
space within the proposed School Hall can also be made available for community use for
classes, badminton etc, outside of School hours.
The use of the open space by the new School will be enhanced through access to these
facilities as part of one complex on the same site. The use by Reddish North End Junior
Football Club can continue on the relocated levelled and improved pitch. Given the quality of
pitch to be laid out, as required by Sport England, this formal team use will allow extended use
of the pitch to other teams, with the added attraction of changing facilities (a specific
requirement of Sport England). The pitch and surrounding space will also be available for
informal use by local people. As part of the proposals, small areas of low risk contamination in
the wider informal recreation area will be capped and landscaped providing a safer
recreational environment for the community and users of the space.
Enhancement and Increased Community Use of Fir Tree School Playing Field
The original new School proposals factored into the funding equation the capital receipt from
the sale of the whole area of built development at Fir Tree School, including the Nursery
School building, curtilage and car park. Following recent discussions with SMBC, and earlier
discussions with Sport England, we have reconsidered that approach.
5.2
5.3
5.4
6.1
6.2
6.3
We believe that the whole of the open space (as currently allocated in the adopted UDP) can
be utilised for Community recreation purposes and enhanced through the provision of a laid
out senior sized football pitch to the Sport England standards (as is proposed for the junior
pitch at Harcourt Street); a further multi use games area (MUGA), again to the same standard
as is proposed at Harcourt Street and easily accessible to the surrounding residential areas;
and also to retain the Nursery School car parking area to provide formal car parking for teams
using the facility, and to fit out the existing nursery school building with changing and
showering facilities for two teams and officials, including disabled access and provision.
This area of land would be formally transferred from SMBC Children and Young People’s
Directorate to SMBC Environment and Economy Directorate on the vacation of the Fir Tree
site to ensure the formality of recreational use of the space, with significant potential for formal
and informal recreational use, would be utilised to best community effect to make the most of
this facility. It is estimated that these proposals for the Fir Tree site would be at a cost of circa
£260,000. Plans showing the proposed locations of the Football pitch, multi use games area,
and car park and changing at the Fir Tree site, together with a detailed layout of the car park
changing rooms are attached for information. The use from educational playing field to
community playing field will be subject to a further planning application in advance of the
School being vacated.
We believe that this would represent a major investment and enhancement to accessibility to
this open space resource in this area. It would enhance the quality and functionality of the
space given the supporting parking and changing facilities, sufficient to outweigh the policy
departure. In fact, the provision of the area of the car park and nursery building does in part
provide for a small contribution to balancing the loss of open space, by proving 1337 sqm back
for community use as support space to the wider 17, 575 sqm of open space to be formally
released to SMBC Environment and Economy Directorate for recreational use. The amount of
funding being proposed to be put into enhanced recreation facilities at the Harcourt Street site
and the Fir Tree site as a result of this planning process is at a cost of circa £900,000
representing about 55% of the potential capital receipt from the release of the Brownfield site
at Fir Tree School.
Additional Quantum of Open Space on site of Fir Tree School Buildings would not
provide significant Material Benefit
We have explained above the essential nature of the new educational facility provided for by
the application proposals, and the interrelationships of the existing sites with the financial case
for the new School. Fir Tree School buildings cover a site of circa 12660 sq m and a capital
receipt from this part of the site will support the new school provision, but also the enhanced
open space facilities proposed at Harcourt Street. However, part of the built site (the nursery
school and car park) will be used as support facilities for formalised and enhanced open space
at Fir Tree School.
In this context, the demolition of the whole of Fir Tree Primary and Nursery School and its
laying out for open space would then undermine the overall proposals, jeopardise the provision
of the new school and children’s centre and what will be a better quality of open space and
recreational provision in the area as a whole on enhanced existing open space.
The opening up of the Fir Tree playing field for community open space is in itself a major
community benefit, because whilst it existed as educational open space its dual use was more
restricted. Full community use provides for an enhanced recreational resource, and this is
supported by essential facilities with the retention of the car park area to the south west to
serve this use and the nursery building which can provide for under cover changing facilities.
The result is a significant new recreational resource for community benefit which can assist in
meeting both existing and future needs. This level of enhancement and even the laying out of
new open space on the site of the school buildings would not be possible if a capital receipt is
not secured.
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
Reuse of North Reddish School Site is Limited by its Listed Status
The existing North Reddish Junior School was subject to listing by the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport on 29 May 2005. This lists the building on the basis of the historic importance
of the junior school building and separate infants block, linked by walls and railings including
reference to the open sided [bicycle] shed. It was built in the early years of the twentieth
century, is well designed with significant architectural detailing, and almost entirely preserved
in its original condition. There is also an unusual First World War memorial within the School
which adds to the historic significance of the building.
The result of the Listing is that the redevelopment of the building and its curtilage is
significantly constrained whether that is for recreational use or another commercial, residential
or community use. The Listing restricts any demolition of the main school building, parts of the
building or curtilage buildings and boundary treatments. The structural fabric of the internal
building is also of importance thereby limiting its effective and efficient use for any alternative
purposes which would require significant internal alteration.
In terms of meeting the open space Policy OS1.3 requirement for replacement space at this
site to support the planning application proposals, it would only be the open space around the
existing building that could contribute to meeting this objective. This is currently hard surfaced
playground and circulation space. The space is relatively narrow and constrained by the layout
of the buildings on site. It is difficult to see how this could contribute to quantitative open space
replacement in this context. In addition, the Listing affects the whole curtilage of the site which
would prevent changes to the curtilage buildings, boundaries etc, which would further limit the
open space use of the curtilage area.
In order to secure a future use of the North Reddish School Listed Building, it is therefore likely
that this will be best served by maintaining the whole site as a single entity to ensure that the
setting of the Listed Building is maintained in the context in which it was built. The ongoing
preservation of the Listed Building is unlikely to be well served by outdoor sport and
recreational uses of the external areas without a clear strategy for the protection of the Listed
Building. The site is also likely to be more valuable by retaining the setting and space with the
building (rather than parcelling off for different uses) and seeking a comprehensive use in
totality.
Clearly, the existing School is an important historic resource within this area of Reddish and
any future use would necessarily need to be the subject of more detailed study and extensive
community consultation. Such a process could look properly at the sorts of uses that might be
configured within the building which would respect its Listed Status. Those uses could include
public or community use, and there is an opportunity for SMBC to consider this separately
outside of the current application process. Whatever the use, protecting the historic fabric will
be the primary concern to English Heritage in accommodating a long term viable and
sustainable use.
The route the applicant has taken to address the UDP Policy issue is to improve the quality of
the existing open space at Harcourt Street/Mill Lane, which will mean investment to provide a
quality playing field, a Multi Use Games Area, tennis and netball facilities as well as enhanced
amenity space on the balance of the land to be retained as public open space in community
use. In addition, the provision for enhancement at the Fir Tree School existing open
educational open space, as set out above, provides for a more accessible, functional space at
all times for community use.
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
9.1
9.2
Financial Background to the Provision of the new School
The proposed School has been planned on the basis of securing funding from a range of
sources for which there is already Council support and agreement. These sources include
Government funding for the proposed Children’s centre, a Capital grant from the DfES, the
education modernisation fund, the Devolved School Capital Grant, and the capital receipt from
the sale of the buildings at Fir Tree School for redevelopment.
The overall costs for the School itself which will include for the pre-planning, planning and
professional costs, dealing with contamination, providing services and the overall construction
equates to circa £8.5 million. Additional costs which have emerged through the planning
application process to meet national and local policy requirements and extended works at and
surrounding the School equate to circa £625,000. Much of this investment relates to the new
recreational facilities at the Harcourt Street site, including the newly laid out sports pitch, the
multi use games area, the additional changing facilities and the landscaping works to deal with
formalising footpath routes and planting to improve the visual appearance of the remaining open
space area in community use. There are other significant costs in promoting and designing the
proposals.
On the basis of the approved funding for the School, the capital receipt from the sale of Fir Tree
School based on a recent valuation undertaken for SMBC represents about 20% of the overall
costs set out above. The capital receipt represents a significant element of the funding.
Therefore losing this capital receipt to provide for a replacement quantum of open space would
jeopardise delivery of the project. The Council has no approval for alternative funding to meet
this requirement.
Equally, by releasing the value from Fir Tree School there is the opportunity to cross subsidise
the application proposals for the new School, the enhanced recreation facilities at Harcourt
Street and the opening up of the playing fields at Fir Tree School including for investment and
more formal community recreational use. It is clear that the capital receipt is an important part of
the overall funding equation particularly in contributing to the improved recreational facilities at
Harcourt Street and at the Fir Tree School site. If the planning policy approach required the Fir
Tree School Brownfield site for open space, there would also be the costs to be found for
removing the buildings and hard standing areas and the laying out of the formal open space on
that site. The scheme would be highly unlikely to proceed on its current basis in that event.
Conclusion
The overall package of proposals which are inherently interlinked result in major educational,
community and recreational benefit. The loss of circa 14600 sq m of local open space at
Harcourt Street for the allocated Primary School use is more than offset by the qualitative
improvements, increased potential use, accessibility and supporting recreational facilities to
the open spaces at Harcourt Street and Fir Tree School playing fields to warrant the departure
from one UDP open space policy whilst securing the overriding need for the new School to
comply with another competing UDP policy.
This proposal is not about replicating existing poor open space facilities at the Harcourt Street
site and doing the minimum at the Fir Tree site. It is about taking a balanced approach to
providing a new School in line with adopted UDP policy, meeting an overriding need to provide
enhanced education facilities, supporting that educational need with better recreational
facilities, and ensuring that those recreational facilities at the new School site and at the open
space at the Fir Tree site are enhanced significantly for the community. The enhancements at
Harcourt Street are founded on the negotiations, advice and acceptance of Sport England. The
facilities at the open space at the Fir Tree site are proposed as additional to what has already
been agreed with Sport England, but to the same requirements and specification. Both
facilities will now provide for changing facilities to support formal fixtures including for disabled
access. Sport England considered this proposal to be a major qualitative benefit in addition to
the ability to use the grass pitches more intensively.
9.3
The educational case above is clear, the need for the new School is essential given the
standard of facilities for children at the existing Schools. The schools are performing well in
educational terms, but this is despite unacceptable and poor conditions. SMBC does not wish
to perpetuate this situation, and is seeking to provide a modern, state of the art school for
these children to their and the community’s benefit. This in itself should override the policy
requirement to provide a quantitative replacement for the lost open space. But the enhanced
recreational facilities in our view also outweigh the quantum loss of local space to justify the
overall proposals.
Rob Peters MRTPI
GVA Grimley LLP
03 July 2007
