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Ref: 214/08 27 June 2008

Planning Permission Granted For New Saughall Primary School

Cheshire’s Development Regulatory Committee has granted planning permission for the new Thomas Wedge Junior School in Saughall, Chester 

The decision was made today (Friday) subject to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government deciding not to call it in.

Saughall Primary School has been designed to meet a high standard for an educational facility but with as small an environmental footprint as possible. The design brief places strong emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency both in the construction and the running of the new school.

The Transforming Learning Communities initiative has resolved a merger between The Ridings Infant School and Thomas Wedge Junior School.

And the proposed new Saughall Primary school would provide room for approximately 310 pupils and 10 classrooms.

The new school would be constructed on the existing playground to the west of Thomas Wedge Junior School and once built, there are plans to demolish the existing Thomas Wedge Junior School.

The application site lies within the Cheshire Green Belt however very special circumstances have been provided stating that there is an overriding need for a through primary school in the village and it is considered that openness of the Green Belt would not be significantly harmed by the proposal.

County Councillor Brian Jones raised concerns about parking in Church Road and asked why a drop off point for parents inside the school could not be included.

He said: “One of the concerns raised in the County Council and district councils is parking problems at peak hours of the school day. Here we have a chance to get rid of that problem by having a drop off point inside the school. I hope that this will not be a lost opportunity.

A report before the committee stated that experiences of drop-off/pick up provision was that they cause additional highway safety problems as they are in conflict with vehicle and pedestrians and such points were against the advice from the Safer Routes to School team.

County Councillor Eveleigh Moore–Dutton had concerns about the demolition of the original school building.

“It would be a great shame to have the original building demolished when it is part of the cultural heritage of the village. Why does the building have to be demolished?”

However the meeting was told that the existing building occupies the front part of the development site and if the demolition did not go ahead that plans for the new school would be void.

In a report before County Councillors, it was stated that using the Thomas Wedge building was not a viable option due to the original layout of the old premises.

The use of the land in which the building sits is governed by a trust deed. If the land is not used as part of a Church of England school it would have to be sold at full market value.