CONCERNS have been raised over plans for a new electrical sub-station at a school in Orford.

The Challenge Academy Trust’s application proposing a single-storey electrical sub-station and associated works at Meadowside Community Primary and Nursery School, on Clough Avenue, will come before the development management committee on Wednesday.

The committee is recommended to approve the application, subject to conditions, with delegated authority given to the development manager to make ‘non-material changes to planning conditions and reasons as may be necessary prior to the issue of the decision’.

According to a report to the committee, planning permission is sought for the installation of a new 500 KV electricity sub-station, including associated ground works, to provide the incoming and outgoing electric feeds to the site.

It adds: “The new substation is required to support the increased electrical load arising from a new ground source heat pump system which is being installed to replace the gas boilers at the school.

“The sub-station would be housed within a 4 x 3.6 metre brick enclosure with a grey concrete, shallow pitched roof reaching a height of around 2.4 metres.

“The substation building would stand within a small compound on a concrete slab of around 64 square metres, enclosed with 2.4 metre high, wire mesh paladin fencing.”

The report states that the application was publicised by 28 neighbour notification letters.

As a result, 13 objections have been received from 10 respondents.

Reasons for this include, as summarised in the report, that the substation would block light to the gardens and windows of neighbouring residential properties, the development will decrease the value of neighbouring properties, and concerns are raised in relation to potential noise from the sub-station.

However, the report states that the proposed development would facilitate the replacement of the school’s existing gas boiler system and ‘support the UK’s existing commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050’.

It adds, subject to conditions, it is ‘not considered that there would be any overriding harm’ to visual or residential amenity or the local highway network.