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Search forGridlock fears at new school site
Thursday, December 04, 2008, 08:30
St John's RC Primary School, which is split across two sites, will be joined together by a new building at its infant school site on Oldfield Lane.
After an eight-year struggle to obtain planning permission for a suitable site, work finally began on the new building last week.
However, residents at nearby Durley Park have voiced concerns that Bath and North East Somerset Council has not done enough to tackle parking and traffic problems.
Proposals for the roads surrounding the school include a "bus turning circle" at the entrance to Durley Park, which would incorporate around 16 parking spaces for staff, parents or residents.
This roundabout is designed to allow coaches to turn around, but if it is built it would mean the removal of a plot of green land that elderly residents use during the summer as well as some existing parking spaces.
There will be only nine off-street parking spaces to serve the school, which will have 33 staff and 315 pupils.
Georgina West, who lives at Durley Park, believes B&NES Council is not considering the views of residents.
She said: "It is absolutely ridiculous – the turning circle will mean our roads are going to be gridlocked. We won't be able to get in or out of our street because of the build-up of traffic around the circle at busy times.
"It is basically a queuing circle for the traffic.
"I want people from the council to come and have a meeting with us, show us what is going to happen and listen to our opinions."
Her neighbour Mark Hughes, who is married with a 15-month-old son, also has concerns about the feasibility of the plans.
Although he is not concerned about the location of the school, he believes better planning is needed to reduce the impact on the area.
Mr Hughes said: "There is currently an issue with congestion in the area and this is going to be made worse by adding several hundred more children to the school.
"The solution lies in redesigning the school so that it has a large number of parking spaces within its grounds.
"If done properly, this would reduce congestion and could also eliminate the need for the proposed 'traffic island' and the subsequent damage to parking options for Durley Park residents."
Elderly residents living at the bottom of the street have said they are upset about the loss of green space to make space for the development.
A 78-year-old man, who did not want to be named, said: "In the summer a group of us go out and sit on the benches on the grass, and sometimes some people from the nursing home come down and sit there too.
"We would be really sad to see that bit of land go."
But local councillor Will Sandry (Lib Dem, Oldfield) said it was important to remember that half of the school was already there so it would not be a completely new development.
There is no parking on site, so parents and staff are already having to use on-street parking.
He said: "I really feel the school is going to be a great community focus and will be good for the area."
Governors' chairman Peter Daly said the issue was one for the council.
A spokeswoman for B&NES said: "The school was given planning permission, and during this process residents had the opportunity to give their views on the scheme including the proposed parking arrangements.
"The council is carrying out a highways consultation about traffic measures for the area."
She also added that the school would be adopting a travel plan to reduce car usage as part of the planning permission.
Meanwhile, a turf-cutting ceremony has taken place at the new site.
Once the £4.7million development is complete, pupils from the junior department on Pulteney Road will be able to join their younger schoolmates for the first time.
Mr Daly said: "The infants are based in temporary classrooms and the juniors are in a three-storey building that was built for secondary school students so the existing facilities are not ideal.
"Having modern services on one site will be a huge advantage for everyone involved at the school."
Mr Daly also thanked Catholics in the Clifton Diocese, whose weekly contributions in church would go towards £500,000 worth of building costs.
Infant pupils will be able to move into their new building in January 2010 and the juniors will follow in the spring or summer of that year.
PICTURE: Lloyd Ellington
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