A Penrith school has been granted permission for extensions to accommodate more pupils.
Members of Westmorland & Furness Council’s Eden local area planning committee met at Voreda House on Wednesday (11th June) to consider the planning application for Beaconside C of E Primary School.
It was considered by councillors because the application was from the council and the recommendation to grant planning permission was contrary to the recommendation of Penrith Town Council.
Concerns had been raised regarding the number of available staff car parking spaces and the increase in traffic at normal school drop-off and pick-up times.
Members were told that the proposal would provide facilities including five new classrooms, a staffroom and landscaping at the school.
The planning officer said there were objections relating to highway safety but the school was committed to supporting sustainable transport with fewer children being driven to school.
A statement from the Evolve Penrith group, said that concerns over asbestos had not been fully addressed and he called for the council to conduct an environmental impact plan with no construction work carried out during term time.”
Amy Holliman, the council’s assistant director for quality, resources and transformation in children’s services, told members that the funding came from cash given as part of a separate planning agreement. She said that the development would help to “futureproof Penrith” in terms of more school places.
She confirmed that the work would not be carried out when the pupils were at school and the additional school places would be phased in over a number of years.
Councillor Lorna Baker (Eden and Lyvennet Vale, Lib Dems) said if asbestos was found at the site separate regulations would dictate what happened and added: “I don’t think we could add anything to it.”
Councillor Adrian Waite (Kirkby Stephen and Tebay, Lib Dems) proposed that they accepted the officer’s recommendation and, when the proposal was seconded by councillor Neil McCall (Eden and Lyvennet Vale, Lib Dems), it was unanimously approved by members.
According to the report the full planning application for extensions and alterations to the existing school would provide an additional 119 pupil places from reception year to year six.
The report states: “This application proposes two new single storey classroom extensions. The first is for two new Key Stage 1 (KS1) classrooms measuring 63 square metres internal floor space each with a total new building gross internal area of 155.7 square metres.
“This extension will be located at the west edge of the school next to the staff car parking area and will be 26 metres from the road, Hutton Hill/Brent Road.
“The second, for Key Stage 2 (KS2), will have three classrooms measuring 55 square metres each, along with staff space, toilets and plant room, with a new build gross internal area of 269 square metres.
“The extension will be located in the southern section of the school where the existing storage unit and library bus are positioned but they will be relocated elsewhere within the school grounds.”
Penrith town council raised a range of concerns relating to public transport within the town because the buses did not run at times corresponding with start and finish times at the school.
by Ian Duncan (Local Democracy Reporting Service)
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