Community facility next to Telford school being discussed following criticism
Plans are being discussed for a new community facility in Lawley after the current provision came under criticism.
Lawley Village Primary Academy have had plans approved to extend the school with six new classrooms and a new nursery.
The extension, which includes additional multi-use games area and grass sports pitch, was approved by Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning committee last week.
The council’s planning officer said that proposal would see pupils numbers at the school increase from 210 to 420 children and it would become a ‘two form-entry school’.
He added that the plans were the ‘Phase Two’ of previously approved applications for the site which ‘accounted for the future expansion of the school’ – dating back to 2010 and 2014.
“The expansion of the school will serve the Lawley area, which has extensively expanded over the last decade,” added the planning officer.
“The scale and design of the proposal is considered to be acceptable. This would see an existing and established primary school expanding further to provide facilities for local residents.”
An objection was raised by a member of the public who said that an ‘all day community space’ condition imposed on the original school plan ‘had not been made available as planned’.
Councillor Steve Bentley asked the planning officer why the original community facility had ‘not been provided’?
The planning officer replied by stating: “As the proposals were worked through it became apparent that you couldn’t have community use running concurrently with the operational use of the school.
“It just wasn’t feasible, there were many meetings had between the school and headteacher to see if there was a way that they could reconfigure how the school operated or its layout, to no avail.
“It came down to the school operating or as a community use.”
Councillor Bentley then asked what had happened to the £300,000 provided by the housing developer?
A council officer replied that the Section 106 financial agreement money was not sub-divided between community use and a school. She said that it was ‘one pot of money’ which was associated with the outline of the whole development for 3,300 houses for a school and community facility.
She added: “A school and community facility was put forward, it was built.
“But operationally it doesn’t really function as well as anticipated. A community use still exists within the building as it operates after school hours, as it only can do.
“It hires out its football pitches and its hall for use after school hours and during the school holiday. There is discussion over a new facility being erected within the site.
“That’s an element that has been excluded from the site edge in the application plans. There are discussions over a facility to come forward.”
As part of the school’s plans the existing car parking area will be reconfigured and extended. The car park currently has 27 spaces which will be increased by 21 spaces and an additional disabled space.
Councillor Nigel Dugmore said that the additional school spaces were needed in Lawley, ‘especially’ the nursery provision.
“The only thing that’s disappointing, as anybody who lives in Lawley knows, it does get quite congested,” said cllr Dugmore.
“It’s another school application which doesn’t consider anything to do with parent pick-up or drop-off or provide provision for it.
“As far as the application is concerned, it’s desperately needed and should be supported.”
