Plans for Montessori Style Nursery in Former Chapel Rejected Over Road Safety and Noise Concerns

PLANS for a Montessori style nursery in a former chapel have been rejected due to concerns over road safety and noise. 
The application for change of use planning permission for the ground floor was recommended for approval, by council planning officers, but councillors said they couldn’t overcome concerns around parking and the impact on residents living in flats in the floor above of the converted congregational chapel. 
Councillor Tony Kear told the planning committee: “Would I want 24 children and six adults beneath my bedroom? The answer is no.” 
The chapel, in Tywyn Square in the centre of Usk, was previously used an office and art gallery but Wiktoria Debska, of Griffithstown, Pontypool applied for change of use permission in January. The nursery has already been in partial use, but the committee was told that should make no difference to how they considered the application. 
Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department received 17 objections to the proposal and 27 comments in support. 
The nursery would be restricted to opening between 6am to 8pm Monday to Friday and, according to the application, run following the Montessori method. That has a focus on independent, hands-on learning, and mixed-age classrooms with children encouraged to choose their own activities and learn at their own pace, “guided rather than instructed” by teachers. 
Conservative Cllr Kear, who represents, Usk said some residents have told him they fear they will have to move due to noise while Goytre Fawr member Jan Butler said those living above the chapel had bought their homes “believing this property beneath them was an office space.” 
No parking for staff would be provided, who would instead be expected to use nearby public car parks, while a transport statement said drop off and collection for children at the building on the junction of the square, which has double yellow lines throughout, would be managed. 
But committee members questioned if that was workable. Cllr Rachel Buckler said: “Obviously parents will try and get as close as possible to park, they are under great pressure and can’t spend half an hour finding a parking space.” 
Mitchell Troy and Trellech member Jayne McKenna said the chapel is on a “very difficult junction to get out of” and said a nursery could involve visits by up to 60 vehicles a day which she described as “an increase in traffic growth”. 
The Conservative also questioned if taxis would be used to deliver children with additional learning needs and asked: “Are we really expecting taxi drivers to park in the Coop car park as you can never get in the Tywyn Square car park?” 
Planning officer Andrew Jones said there was no objection from the highways department and officers considered the change in use to be more of a change to traffic than a significant increase. He also reminded councillors they were only to consider the use of the building with issues such as safeguarding of children and management of the nursery regulated by Care Inspectorate Wales. 
On noise he said it was agreed insulation between the floors would be installed which would reduce sound from the ground floor by around 20 decibels, which had satisfied the council’s environmental health department. 
In response to Cllr Su McConnell environmental health officer Huw Owen said 30dB  would be less than conversation level but “still be audible in the background” while he said even an empty room would record a decibel level of around 18 or 19. 
The committee voted by 10 to six against approving the application and instead agreed it be deferred to their next meeting when a report will be brought back with reasons for refusal on highway safety grounds and loss of amenity for neighbours.  ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​