Alternative Sites Consultation

The submitted site includes the site of our school and the submission from Redline Planning and Development Consultants on behalf of AC Lloyd proposes re-locating and re-building our school at the southern end of the submitted site.

We support the proposal to re-build our school. We would welcome the opportunity for the young people of the surrounding community to have the benefit of a secondary school planned and constructed to modern requirements. We see the opportunity for this to incorporate sustainable construction as well as improved educational and community facilities. We would like to see our students, many of whom are from more deprived families, having the advantages of state of the art facilities to enhance the excellent work that is being achieved by the school. There is an opportunity to provide a centre with recreational and community facilities easily accessed by foot and by bicycle from the Whitnash and Brunswick areas, as well as Sydenham and Willes, which would be an enduring community asset for established communities as well as any new residents brought by the development.

We are very keen for the school to remain close to the communities it currently serves because that is important both to support the students and their families in an area of great need, and to maintain the good work on community cohesion which has been built up. Our assessment is that the proposed new site, approximately half a mile south of the current one, remains within acceptable walking distance for the students within our preference area.

We also welcome the intention to preserve and enhance the Whitnash Brook Valley as a nature area.

We do not feel it is our place to comment on the impact the proposed development would have on the outlook of adjacent residents or on technical matters such as highway capacity.