Wiltshire school sports hall conversion plans refused

Wiltshire Council rejected a proposal from The Wellington Academy in Ludgershall to refurbish part of its sports centre and convert areas currently used for community sport into classrooms and welfare facilities.

The application, submitted by Steve Elsey of Ascend Learning Trust on behalf of the academy, was formally refused on Monday, September 28.

The scheme included creating a new intermediate floor, classrooms, and welfare facilities within the sports hall, along with minor external changes such as a new escape staircase, emergency exit doors, and additional window openings.

A planning statement argued that the building would remain in educational use, with no increase to its footprint or overall height.

The applicant claimed the works could be carried out under permitted development rights for schools and therefore requested a Certificate of Lawfulness from the council.

However, planning officers concluded that while the physical alterations met the technical requirements of permitted development, the proposal conflicted with a key planning condition relating to community access.

The officer report highlighted Condition 13 of planning permission 17/12494/DP3, which requires all sports facilities on the site to be operated in accordance with an approved Community Use Agreement to ensure public access to indoor sports and ancillary facilities.

Officers found that the proposed conversion would remove areas designated for community use in the agreement, making them unavailable to the public as required by the planning condition.

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Wiltshire Council said: "The proposed development would convert accommodation identified within the approved Community Use Agreement pursuant to Condition 13 of planning permission 17/12494/DP3 from community sports use to teaching accommodation."

The council said this would prevent the facilities from being provided in line with the agreement, resulting in a breach of the planning condition.

It concluded that the proposal was not lawful and therefore a Certificate of Lawful Proposed Use or Development could not be granted.

Officers recommended refusal on the grounds that the scheme "could therefore not be implemented and operated in compliance with Condition 13" and would amount to a breach of planning control.

The decision means the academy cannot proceed with its plans as currently proposed.