Objections raised over Theale primary school replacement

Lack of information over 'urgently needed' school leads to Parish council objection

A LACK of information, too many assumptions and contradictory statements has led Theale Parish Council to object to plans for a ‘vital’ new primary school.

West Berkshire Council has submitted an application to build an urgently needed new school for 341 pupils, plus a 26-place nursery, to replace Theale Primary School.

The council has chosen land at the North Street playing fields on Englefield Road to build the new facility, but the village is divided over the selected site.

Theale Parish Council leases the land from the Englefield Estate and is yet to decide on whether to relinquish five acres of land to the district council. The two councils have been locked in negotiations, with the parish council saying that it has not been supplied with enough information about road safety to make a decision.

And it was this feeling of uncertainty that led parish councillors to object to the application at a meeting on Tuesday.

Councillors heard the divided views of residents, with one saying: “We are all in favour of a new school but they are putting it in the wrong place.”

He added that the council had not explored expanding the current site and that the traffic impact and loss of green space would be detrimental to future generations of Theale residents.

Resident Pamela Sergant objected saying that access to the school had not been clearly explained and that children’s lives would be put at risk due to narrow footpaths. She added that the district council had not consulted properly and that the inadequate application needed to be improved.

A counter view was proposed by Andrew Higgs who said the £7m investment was a rare opportunity and that the parish council should make “the right decision” for the future of education in Theale.

Another resident said that the school’s outstanding Ofsted rating would be threatened if a replacement was not approved soon.

But parish council chairman Charles Bateman said that the parish council had not made a decision on relinquishing the land because West Berkshire Council had not provided enough information.

Jan Richardson said that the parish council had had to fight for every scrap of information and that parish representatives were not invited to sit on the project board.

One resident asked how the parish council could decide on the application with a lack of information. The clerk, Jo Friend, replied: “We can say there’s inadequate information because that’s all we can say.

“There have been huge delays in their answering. We waited for the planning application so we could see what was in it. What’s missing are a lot of things that we have been asking about.”

Vice chairwoman Becky Williams added: “What they have told us and what has gone in are two different things.”

The parish council’s concerns over traffic safety became more acute after council traffic officers recommended removing the proposed 20mph speed limit outside the school. A recommendation to remove a planned zebra crossing has also been proposed.

Mrs Williams said the information was contradictory and would worsen safety.

A ‘kiss and drop’ area is also proposed at the school but again Mrs Williams said she was concerned about safety over a lack of information on its operation.

The parish council has also sought replacement facilities for the loss of the playing fields but said an inadequate site had been offered. Parish councillors also said that the district council had used “misleading and out-of-date” information surrounding the usage of the sports pitches to justify constructing a school at north street.

Iain Hopcroft said that he didn’t agree with losing the playing fields but West Berkshire Council had provided no alternative. Councillors then debated whether the school pitches would be open for public use; but again felt there was a lack of information.

Nine of the present councillors objected to the application.

Mr Hopgood said he had no objection provided that the speed limit and formal crossing remained in the application.

A decision from West Berkshire council is expected by June 23.