DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LOOSE ROAD CORRIDOR New building for free school
‘Scheme would give parents
more choice’ NOT everybody was left frus- trated by the decision to grant planning permission for the primary school. Cllr Stephen Munford, of Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council, supported the proposal. He said: “Already we have 130 ap- plications for next year for our primary school butweonlyhave30places. Each class has waiting lists. “This is denying our parish- ioners the chance to take their children to their local school. If there are no highways objec- tions then we would come down in favour of parental choice.” Gigi Luscombe, executive of-
Cllr Stephen Munford
ficer for Future Schools Trust, said: “From September 2014 the primary school will not be able to be co-located as school rolls grow. “We have two applicants for
every place at the school and anticipate a large number of students to walk to school.”
KENT’s first free school is to get its own purpose-built building afterMaidstone Council granted planning permission for an ex- pansion on the New Line Learn- ing Academy site in Boughton Lane,Maidstone. The 2,250sq m development
will be occupied by Tiger Pri- mary School,which used part of the academy when it opened in September last year to become the county’s first Government- funded free school. The schemewill separate Tiger
from NLL, with a two-form entry providing capacity for up to 420 pupils by 2018/19. A 1,500sqm studio school, which will sup- port up to 280 post-16 pupils, was also given planning permis- sion.
Applicant Future Schools
Trustwill have to pay £45,000 as part of a Section 106 agreement towards a new bus lane between the Wheatsheaf pub and Arm- strong Road, on Loose Road, which is a Maidstone Council as- piration in its draft integrated transport strategy. Yet members of the planning committee had reservations over traffic congestion from a pro- posed housing development as well as the influx of pupils and staff at the new schools. KCC ad-
Cllr Ian Chittenden
mitted in its report that the Loose Road/Boughton Lane/Cripple Street junction “is operating close to its design capacity”. Cllr Ian Chittenden said: “We understand there will be an ap- plication for 225 houses on the playing fields, so these two school applications should not be considered on their own. “The full development includ-
ing the houses should be consid- ered jointly because of the effect in relation to the exits onto a nar- row country lane, the increased intensity of traffic at the junction of Boughton Lane/Cripple Street and the overall increase affecting the serious congestion problems.
“I would normally support all school applications but I would like to see this one rejected.” Cllr Mike Hogg, who, like Cllr Chittenden also sits on the com- mittee and represents South ward on the borough, shared the traffic concern. He said: “People will try to avoid the area by going through Tovil and thiswillmake things worse.” Cllr Martin Cox felt there would be a safety risk for stu- dents as there is no footpath on much of Boughton Lane. Cllr Daniel Moriarty thought
the Section 106money would be better spent on a shuttle bus along Boughton Lane. However, council officers re- minded members of strong wording in the Government’s policy statement on new schools, which says “The Secretary of Statewillbemindedtoconsider such a refusal or imposition of conditions to be unreasonable conduct, unless it is supported by clear and cogent evidence.” It was considered that the evi-
dence of traffic congestion was not strong enough to vote for a refusal, so both schools were given planning permission, with seven votes in favour outnum- bering the three against. There were two abstentions.
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