Residents fail to stop school expansion

WORRIED residents have failed in a bid to block proposals for temporary extensions at Warrington’s independent free school, Kings Leadership Academy.
Borough planning chiefs have granted planning consent for the continued use of an existing classroom block and the erection of a new classroom block for Kings at Bruche Primary School, in Seymour Drive, Poulton-with-Fearnhead.
But they have imposed conditions that the school must produce traffic and parking plans to allay the fears of nearby residents who predict road safety and parking problems.
Kings are operating from temporary classrooms at Bruche pending construction of a new school on land off Hillock Lane, Woolston.
This is expected to be completed around September next
A new intake of pupils next month will increase the number of pupils from 170 to 290 and the number of staff will rise from 12 to 15.
Local councillors Colin Froggatt and Maureen Creaghan opposed the application on the grounds of overcapacity, increased traffic, lack of parking and increased and prolonged disturbance to neighbours.
But planning officers said the development woould have no significant impact on residential amenity nor cause harm through loss of outlook, light or privacy.
Any impact on noise levels would be neutral. Additional staff and visitor parking could be accommodated.