Bournemouth School, Bournemouth

Paul Basham Associates worked alongside Kendall Kingscott and Luken Beck to support their RIBA Stages 2 and 3 for an expansion at Bournemouth School, Bournemouth. The project involved close liaison with the local highway authority to determine that the expansion would accommodate sufficient car and cycle parking, and not negatively impact the operation of the local road network.

The Brief

Initially we were asked to support the RIBA Stage 2 package with a Transport Note to identify the likely highway opportunities and constraints and aid pre-application discussions. Following this we supported the RIBA 3 process with a Transport Assessment and Travel Plan to support a full planning application. Further work to liaise with the highway authority was required to demonstrate that the expansion would not result in a severe impact on the local roads.

Our Approach

In the first instance Paul Basham Associates completed a site visit to review the site constraints and parking provision in particular. This also included a meeting with the head teacher and School Business Leader to gain a thorough understanding of the school’s operational requirements.

To support the RIBA stages, we prepared a Transport Note, Transport Assessment and Travel Plan which detailed the proposals and associated highway impact. As part of the scheme on-site parking was to be removed and an agreement was therefore made to use spaces at a nearby leisure centre during school times and this was evidenced and documented in the transport reports.

Through the application the highway officers were initially concerned with the highway impact associated with the expansion, despite the majority of pupils coming from the local area and travelling via sustainable modes. Therefore, further work including junction modelling and review of trip distributions was required which ultimately resulted in a favourable highways response.

The Result

The extension is now fully built and operational, and has allowed the school to expand providing much needed services for the local area.