• Contents
• Introduction
• Strategic Policies
• Economy, Industry & Commerce
• Housing
• Town Centres, Retailing & Leisure
• General Community Services
• Transport
• Open Environment
• Built & Historic Environment
• Waste, Pollution, Minerals, Water & Energy
• Planning Standards & Controls
• Car Parking Standards
• Cycle Parking Standards
• Proposals Map Schedules
• Glossary of Terms

CHAPTER 5: GENERAL COMMUNITY SERVICES

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVES

POLICIES AND PROPOSALS

Community Facilities
GCS1 Provision of community sites and buildings
GCS2 Retention of facilities and creation/ improvement of facilities as part of mixed use schemes
GCS3 Provision of health care sites and buildings
GCS4 Proposed alternative use of existing health care facilities
GCS5 Provision of primary health care
GCS6 Standards of accommodation in educational facilities
GCS7 Provision of mobile classrooms
GCS8 Re-use of redundant education sites/buildings

Statutory Undertakers and Public Utilities
GCS9 Liaison with public authorities & monitoring of land holdings

BACKGROUND

Social Services

5.3 Four broad categories of services and facilities, which have land use implications, can be identified:-
a). Special Needs Accommodation -e.g. for children, people with disabilities or warden-supervised housing for elderly people.
b). Day Care Facilities - e.g. for elderly people or day nurseries, or intermediate treatment centres.
c). Community Buildings - e.g. estate halls, churches, meeting rooms, information and advice services.
d). Support Services - e.g. “meals on wheels” - services which help people to continue to live independently at home and which require suitably placed local offices, depots and kitchens.

5.4 The Council and Waltham Forest Health Authority are the main providers of these services. However, the Council fully recognises that voluntary groups and other independent agencies - notably from the private sector - have an increasingly important role in providing a range of services.

5.5 Since 1997 the Government have put in place a far-reaching agenda for the modernisation of health and social care services. The main themes of this agenda are:

• Promoting the independence of vulnerable people through rehabilitation, respite care and home support services rather than care in the home or in hospital.
• Councils to become “enabling authorities” rather than just providers. The use of best value to ensure users and their carers get services that relate to their assessed needs not who provides them.
• Rigorous performance monitoring linked to national performance assessment frameworks.
• Health and social care should be seen as one care system; partnership working between the NHS and Local Authorities is essential through joint commissioning, pooled budgets and integrated services.

The main land use implications of these changes are the closure of large residential institutions relieving sites for other uses, coupled with a need for reprovision in the community, such as small group homes, supported housing schemes and day care centres. Shared facilities between NHS and local authorities will develop with integrated home care and primary care services.

Health Services

5.6 Redbridge and Waltham Forest Health Authority (RWFHA) has the overall strategic responsibility for the delivery of health care services in the borough. However the role of Health Authorities in England is under review by the Department of Health. RWFHA also takes a major role in health regeneration initiatives (Single Regeneration Budget) that aim to tackle health inequalities, promote “healthy living” among “deprived” communities and improve access to primary care services. These are linked up to Council initiatives around neighbourhood renewal and urban regeneration. Primary Care Trusts are now responsible for general practitioner services, clinics, health centres. Other specific Trusts are responsible for hospital services and health services for people with mental health problems. Increasingly health and social care will be delivered and managed as one “care system” with unified management, pooled budgets and shared facilities. Integration of services such as primary care and home care will have land use implications and there needs to be close corporate liaison between the Council and all Health Service partners to ensure we make the most of opportunities for sharing buildings and facilities.

5.7 As with social services the major land use change experienced in recent years is the move towards care in the community (see paragraph 5.5), resulting in the release of hospital sites and the need for new or larger facilities in existing residential areas. A major development in Waltham Forest will be the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital - which will lead to a new general hospital for the borough, substantial new housing including affordable housing, local job creation and improved transport and open space provision. This development is recognised by the borough as a ‘Major Opportunities Site’ and is shown on the UDP Proposals Map.

Community Services

5.8 The Council’s Directorate of Community Services incorporates both its housing and social service functions - aiming to encourage joint working internally on service provision. Joint working is also being sought externally by the Council through a closer working relationship with the local health authority.

Education Services

5.9 Waltham Forest is a local education authority (LEA) and has a duty to provide schooling for children of compulsory school age (5-16 years old). In addition it must secure the provision of adequate facilities for:

a) Full-time and part-time education of people over compulsory school age; and
b) Leisure time occupation in the form of organised cultural, training and recreational activities for people over compulsory school age who are able and willing to benefit from the facilities provided.

5.10 The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires Local Authorities - in consultation with stakeholders - to produce a five year School Organisation Plan. This sets out the necessity to add or remove school places within a local authority area in order that local needs are met.

5.11 In September 2000 the Council agreed a Schools Capital Strategy which has the following land use implications:

• Ensuring that there are enough school places to educate all children within a reasonable distance from their home.
• Raising school standards and achieving best value through the provision of optimum size schools.
• Raising standards in schools experiencing difficulties.
• Supporting the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs.
• Raising standards through the regeneration of the built stock.

5.12 In some cases these reviews are leading to changing requirements for land and buildings. This could involve new schools or new sites, extensions or site expansion and site disposal.

5.13 Through its Early Years Development and ChildCare Plan the Authority makes provision for nursery education for every 4 year old in the borough and a large number of 3-year-olds. The Council aims to facilitate nursery provision in all its primary schools - either through a nursery class as part of the school or through local nursery provision. The Council would also like to work with the Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership to expand nursery provision to include wrap around care and additional provision for 0 to 3 year olds targeted initially in areas of urban regeneration. Currently there are 7 schools with no nursery provision.

5.14 There are plans to redistribute the supply of primary schools places in the borough so as to address need. This means providing more places in the middle and south of the borough, through the expansion of one or more establishments. Amalgamations, with a long term view to merging infant and junior schools and standardising on 2 or 3 forms of entry Primary Establishments - are also to be the subject of a Council study. In addition a requirement for a Roman Catholic Primary School for Chingford has been identified.

5.15 In the Secondary Sector a fairly immediate need for additional places are likely to be accommodated through the expansion of one school. Reorganisation proposals are currently being considered for the expansion of 4 forms of entry secondary schools. This will involve both the acquisition and disposal of parcels of land in the longer term.

5.16 The review of Special Schools, with a view to rationalising these establishments and improving Special Education needs provision in main stream schools, is under way. Where sites are no longer required for their original purpose, they may offer opportunities to expand or relocate other elements of the education service. If sites are identified as surplus, they will be sold, to enable the capital receipt to fund developments to existing school sites.

5.17 Many of Waltham Forest’s education sites and buildings are old or long established and tend to fall below modern curriculum standards and Department for Education and Employment space requirements. Playgrounds are often inadequate in size, whilst school playing fields are frequently located some distance away from the main school site. When appropriately located land becomes available for sale, the Authority may therefore consider its acquisition in order to improve the school’s provision.

Community Facilities

5.18 A range of buildings are used for community activities – such as religious meeting places, community centres youth centres and commercially run entertainment venues. There is a wide demand to use such facilities.

5.19 Most community facilities are not run on a commercial basis and within current spending restrictions the Council is unlikely to be able to finance major new facilities. Black and ethnic minority groups are particularly disadvantaged in access to community facilities because of the lack of provision for the wide range of their religious or cultural needs. People with disabilities have traditionally been denied access to community facilities available to able-bodied people. This has been due to a number of factors, but poor physical accessibility and a lack of accessible transport have been particular problems.

Public Utilities

5.20 These services include the supply of water, electricity, gas, telecommunication and telephone services and the operational requirements of the police.

5.21 Various public authorities are major landholders in the Borough. Recent years have seen changes in their operating requirements. The Council has consulted them whilst drawing up this Plan. It will continue to liaise with those individual services wishing to dispose of surplus sites and co-operate with them in their development of new operational facilities, in the context of the land use priorities set out in this Plan.

Objectives

5.22 With respect to the above background and context, there are two relevant Council service objectives:

a) Improving the educational attainment of our children.
b) Improving local people’s health and well-being.

To meet these objectives the Council’s land use policies will seek to:

a) Ensure suitable sites and buildings are available for all general community and educational services for all people (see Part 1, paragraph 1.53, Access for All Guidelines) to improve their accessibility to residents by providing facilities locally.
b) Pursue the re-use of sites proposed for disposal by the public services in accordance with other land use needs identified in this Plan.
c) Identify sites, if required, for new or enhanced neighbourhood community facilities.
d) Prevent facilities from impacting negatively on the local environment – with regards to design, concentration, amenity space, parking, noise or other disturbance.

POLICIES AND PROPOSALS

The provision of community sites and buildings

5.23 These requirements set out the Council’s approach when dealing with proposals included within Classes C.2 and D.1 of the Town & Country Planning (Use Classes) Order, 1987 (as amended 2005).

5.24 Some community uses, particularly those relating to residential and day care facilities require amenity areas for sitting out, play etc.

5.25 Sites should be well located for pedestrian routes and public transport. Town, district and neighbourhood centres will often be the most appropriate locations for facilities such as libraries, work place nurseries/shoppers’ crèches, doctors and dentist surgeries, health centres, meeting/entertainment halls, advice centres, etc. Provision of such facilities within centres will enhance their focal role and capitalise upon the availability of public transport and car parking. It will also allow multi-purpose trips and generally enhance the vitality and viability of the borough’s centres. Proposals should however not be in conflict with the retail protection policies (Policy TRL5 – TRL9).

The retention of facilities and creation/improvement of facilities as part of mixed use schemes.

5.26 A wide range of community activities are carried out in inadequate premises and in sites not well served by public transport. The need to redress social exclusion demands adequate facilities in appropriate locations to meet local needs. Whilst there is a shortage of proper facilities, opportunities to provide new facilities are limited because in most cases these activities cannot compete successfully with other uses and need public funding. In this context, the loss of community facilities without replacement anywhere in the borough will generally be resisted.

5.27 The Council will seek to upgrade or enhance facilities and where necessary will seek premises in improved locations, closer to town centres, good transport links, amenity space and target communities. Such improvements in community facilities might be sought by Planning Agreements as part of regeneration initiatives and development schemes particularly in those schemes which generate a greater need for community facilities than had been previously programmed. In particular mixed-use schemes will be encouraged to consider the provision of community facilities. These could include new school, healthcare or social welfare facilities, meeting places, nurseries or child care facilities and public conveniences.

5.28 There may be opportunities in development of the Major Opportunity Sites and other major schemes to include community facilities that would otherwise become over-extended or are absent in the surrounding area. In appropriate circumstances, the council will seek Planning Obligations in accordance with Policy SP18 in Part 1 of the UDP to further the aims of social inclusion and urban regeneration.

Additional Policy Considerations related to Specific Community Uses:

Residential and Day Care Facilities

5.29 These facilities can include those for children, the elderly and people with physical and/or mental disabilities. It excludes bed and breakfast accommodation and hostels which are dealt with in the Housing chapter.

5.30 It should be noted that many small group homes (comprising households of not more than six residents living together) are not subject to planning control, and are therefore not affected by this policy. The presence of such establishments in an area will be taken into account when the issue of over concentration is being considered.

5.31 There is an increasing demand for supported housing as a result of the modernisation agenda. It is important that facilities and services are provided to enable people to live as independently as possible in the community. Many of the factors shaping demand in the 1990s for residential care accommodation are discussed in the Community Care Plan produced jointly by the Council with the Health Authorities. Factors discussed include the increasing numbers of very elderly people (aged 85 and over) and growing numbers of elders in the local black and ethnic minority communities. The objective is to reduce the number of people going into institutional homes and to provide community support services for these groups instead.

5.32 There is also likely to be further demand for women’s refuges serving the various needs of different ethnic groups.

5.33 This policy seeks to strike a balance between service benefits, and amenities. It aims to prevent the concentration of residential care accommodation in particular geographical locations which would not be beneficial either to those receiving services or to the wider community.

5.34 The Council will also consider the relationship of proposed residential care homes to their surroundings. In line with the Council’s environmental policies (see especially policies BHE1 to 5 and BHE16 in the Built and Historic Environment Chapter in this Plan), proposals would be compatible with the character of the surrounding area – avoid inappropriate noise or disturbance, provide adequate off-street car parking, be accessible, etc. Detailed guidance on design criteria affecting residential care homes which the Council will take into account with new proposals is set out in Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 3 on non self contained accommodation. The Council’s Car Parking Standards at Appendix 1 set down detailed parking requirements.

5.35 There are other Council regulations concerning residential and day care facilities, in particular relating to environmental health standards and social services standards of care. Information about these can be obtained from the Council.

Nurseries and Crèches

5.36 The Council provides day care provision for children through its Directorates of Lifelong Learning and Community Services - the former being responsible for nursery schools, and the latter for the provision and registration of day nurseries and childminders.

5.37 Provision of workplace nurseries is considered in policy INB14 of the Economy, Industry and Commerce Chapter. Employers will seek to attract women with children back into the workforce to avert the projected shortfall of skilled workers. Therefore, there continues to be an increased demand for voluntary and privately run nurseries. Childcare is also needed within shopping, educational and leisure facilities to enable more people to be able to participate in these activities. Facilities such as drop in creches or play facilities will be encouraged by the Council in such developments for these reasons. Where appropriate the Council will negotiate Planning Agreements to supply local childcare provision. There is less need for community nurseries and there are problems related to nuisance associated with nurseries operating in residential premises; such uses can change the residential character & amenity of an area. Applications for nurseries to be located in former residential premises will be required to demonstrate that their proposal will not harm the residential nature of an area. It is recognised that harm could come about through the expansion (enlargement) of existing nursery operations now or in the future.

5.38 The Council will produce future supplementary planning guidance on nursery standards. There are other regulations concerning nurseries, in particular relating to environmental health standards and standards of care for the under 8’s. Information about these can be obtained from the Council.

5.39 There are plans to provide nurseries in all the Council’s primary schools and seven such schools have yet to have nurseries provided. It is unclear at the moment if additional land will be required.

Religious Meeting Places and Cemeteries

5.40 The London Borough of Waltham Forest is a multi-ethnic Borough, and there are demands from groups which do not yet have adequate facilities for religious worship. In view of this shortage of religious meeting places for black and other ethnic minority communities, the Council will normally resist the loss of existing religious buildings until their use by such local groups has been fully explored. Places of worship often result in increased levels of traffic, parking and noise unsuitable for residential areas. As such new sites for places of worship are likely to be in local or town centres with good public transport links. Applications for new places of worship to be located in residential areas will be required to demonstrate that their proposal will not harm the residential nature of an area.

5.41 There is continued need for land for cemeteries and crematoriums, in particular there is a need to ensure provision of burial sites for all the borough’s religious/cultural groups.

Provision of health care sites and buildings

5.42 All proposals for residential and day care facilities will have to comply with policy GCS1 and residential care with policy HSG11 in the Housing chapter.

5.43 The Council recognises that Redbridge and Waltham Forest Health Authority will identify needs involving new sites and buildings during the Plan period, particularly in relation to health and social care modernisation and joint working between the NHS and the Council. The Health Authority and associated Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been identified as a second tranche NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) and have produced their strategic services development plan 2002. The plan will provide a strategy for improving primary health care services in the area.

5.44 It is important that adequate provision is made for community care, to enable people to live as independently as possible in the community. To ensure successful implementation of this policy a close working relationship will be maintained between the Council and District Health Authority.

Proposed alternative use of existing health care facilities

5.45 The Health Authority has closed Claybury Hospital and together with Redbridge and Waltham Forest Councils has reprovided that accommodation in a range of community settings. There will be a continuing process of supporting people with mental health problems in the community unless such people have to be cared for in hospital for reasons of their and the community’s safety.

5.46 Leytonstone House Hospital for people with learning difficulties has closed and again the accommodation reprovided in a range of supported living environments and group homes.

5.47 Changes in health care provision and joint working between Redbridge and Waltham Forest Councils with the Health Authority will lead to further developments in the running of hospitals and other health facilities - and are expected to have further land use implications during the period covered by this Plan.

5.48 The Council will seek to work closely with the Health Authority as its review of land holdings continues to ensure proper use of land and buildings in respect of the internal arrangement of these sites, and the sites’ relationship to their surrounding areas.

5.49 Where hospital sites are released from Health Authority use, the Council will assist the Health Authority in defining suitable alternative uses. This will be done taking into account the nature of the site, the priorities of the Plan and the results of local public consultation. As has already been mentioned (see paragraph 5.7) Whipps Cross Hospital has been identified as a Major Opportunities Site where the rearrangement of hospital facilities has enabled a release of land for housing, transport and open space use. This site is indicated in the schedule of Major Opportunities Sites and is indicated on the Proposals Map.

Provision of Primary Health Care

5.50 Changes to the National Health Service will introduce a retirement age for doctors and will encourage the formation of general practices which are large enough to run a variety of associated clinics and services. At present the Borough has a large number of doctors in single practices, often operating from their own homes. In future there is likely to be a demand for larger premises for group practices, offering a wider range of services which are unlikely to be able to operate from a single house or flat. These services are also likely to include social care services such as home care and independence equipment. The Council will work in co-operation with the Primary Care Trusts to identify suitable sites and premises for this type of provision. It recognises the benefits of providing surgeries for medical and health care practitioners (doctors, dentists, opticians, osteopaths etc.) in locations where they are easily accessible to the communities they serve. However, there is also a need to ensure that such uses do not cause undue disturbance in their immediate neighbourhood, particularly in residential areas e.g. due to on-street car parking, traffic generation or other environmental nuisance. For that reason the Council will normally encourage larger facilities to locate in town, district and neighbourhood centres. The Council will expect that health care facilities will be designed to be fully accessible to people with disabilities.

5.51 Disadvantaged groups in Waltham Forest tend to have a different need for health facilities. It may be that in order to meet their individual needs specialist provision is required, whether integrated with other facilities or in isolation. Such provision may range from ‘meals on wheels’ services, mental health or residential homes that meet the specific dietary and cultural needs of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds to facilities for women such as “Well Woman” clinics.

Education Services

Standards of accommodation in educational facilities

5.52 Many schools particularly in the south of the Borough do not meet modern standards of space provision. However, in a densely built-up area the opportunities for improving this situation are limited. The release of sites due to falling school rolls in some parts of the borough may help to alleviate the problem in some cases, but the Council is aware that overall, during the Plan period the secondary school population in the Borough is likely to grow.

Provision of mobile classrooms

5.53 There is often a need to plan for temporary increases in school rolls especially in the primary sector. As it is not financially viable to permanently expand for temporary rolls, mobile classrooms are used as means of providing for temporary peaks in pupil numbers. However, they obviously do not offer the same standard of accommodation as permanent buildings and are not as visually attractive. Careful consideration of the location of mobile classrooms within the school site (e.g. away from neighbouring residential properties) may help to alleviate some problems. Temporary planning consents will be granted (normally for a period of three years) in order that the need for mobile classrooms can be re-assessed within a reasonable period. As with all permanent structures, mobile classrooms will be expected to conform with the Council’s “Access for All” Guidelines.

Re-use of redundant education sites/buildings

5.54 Reviews of the education service and its land holdings have revealed a number of sites which are either vacant/underused, or about to become so, over the next few years. In these cases account will be taken of the Town and Country (England) (Playing Fields) Direction 1998 -which advises local authorities about the disposal of school playing fields (see Policy ENV20, para 7.115, Open Environment Chapter).

5.55 It is impossible to be precise about how such sites should be used, because each exhibits individual characteristics in terms of size, location, the nature of any buildings on it and the needs of the community in the area.

5.56 The Council encourages the use of educational facilities by the wider community outside school hours/terms. There is untapped potential space for community groups in school buildings, subject to the provisions of the Local Management of Schools initiative. This could help to meet particular needs of black and ethnic minority groups, for example Koran study groups.

Statutory Undertakers and Public Utilities

Liaison with public authorities and monitoring of land holdings

5.57 Whilst the Council is not directly involved with the operation of services operated by statutory undertakers (gas, railways, water, telephones, etc), it can help to ensure that - in the face of strong conflicting demands for land in the Borough - these services have sufficient land to be able to function properly.

5.58 The Council will also promote regular liaison with the various authorities, and enter into early discussion when land disposals are being considered. Issues related to land contamination and its remediation will be assessed in relation to the Environment Protection Act 1995, (see Chapter 9, Policy WPM7).

5.59 From time to time major developments may be proposed which, whilst acceptable in principle under the policies of this Plan, give rise to the need for the provision of new services by statutory undertakers. In such cases the Council will normally withhold granting any necessary planning permission until it is satisfied, possibly by means of a legal agreement, that an appropriate level of services required will be provided at the appropriate time during the construction period.

5.60 Reference will also be made to any risk of flooding connected to the site (see Chapter 9, Policy WPM18).

5.61 The Council is concerned that works carried out by the statutory undertakers as permitted development should have regard to those policies in this Plan (notably BHE1 to 5) which seek to maintain and enhance the quality of the environment, and it will liaise closely with them on the siting and design of buildings and equipment in their modernisation/renewal programmes.

5.62 The Council will also liaise closely with the statutory undertakers on the management of any sites with nature conservation importance, encouraging the preparation and implementation of nature conservation management plans as appropriate.

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