Pressure on school to expand prompts planning bid
WITH more aspiring pupils than places at St Mary Magdalene’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Bexhill, the school is looking to expand.
But yesterday (Thursday) Rother District Council’s planning committee deferred granting full permission for an extension and alterations at the Hastings Road site.
Members heard that a late amendment had been filed to move the proposed building slightly further away from neighbouring properties.
With many on the committee expressing concern about the impact of the plans on neighbours, it was agreed officers be given more time to assess this aspect.
St Mary’s wants to change from being a one-form intake per year school with 210 pupils and seven classes to a 1.5 form entry per year, 315 pupil, 10.5 classes establishment.
The extension would occupy the existing car park and lower playground, using existing site levels to keep height to a minimum and laid out internally over two levels.
A new playground would be achieved by extending into a meadow at the rear of the school and the car park expanded from 16 spaces to 31 after relocation north of the new access.
Parents would be provided with two drop off/collection zones, including a roadside layby, to help overcome peak traffic problems..
An agent for St Mary Magdelene’s said: “With the increase in the birth rate, it has been known for some time that there is a need to provide additional primary and subsequently secondary school accommodation in the area.
“And as well as new applicants, there is an increasing demand for places for siblings of existing pupils.”
Prior to yesterday’s meeting, Rother District Council had received just two letters of objection.
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Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 14 C
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