Council committee supports King's Lynn school plan, but raises traffic concern at meeting

More work is needed to provide suitable drop-off facilities for parents taking children to a proposed new school in North Lynn, borough councillors say.

West Norfolk Council’s planning committee raised no objections to the planned new St Edmund’s School at a meeting today.

But members were concerned about traffic issues, despite plans for a “park and stride” facility for parents to leave their vehicles in the Lynnsport car park.

They called on Norfolk County Council, which has made the application, to do more to address the issue.

Tony Bubb said: “Parents are going to drop their children off anywhere they can. It really needs a proper drop-off area.”

The application allows for a 420-place school, plus a nursery capable of accommodating up to 56 youngsters, on land off Greenpark Avenue and Columbia Way.

The building is meant to replace the existing school off Kilhams Way, as part of the development of hundreds of new homes around Lynnsport and Marsh Lane.

The borough council, which considered the application in its function as a statutory consultee on county schemes, has provided the land in a move officials believe will make the school run easier and safer for children.

Geoffrey Wareham raised concerns about whether the borough was bearing the cost of clearing the land.

But planning director Geoff Hall suggested the work was similar to the kind of education contributions a private developer would be expected to make in order to secure planning consent for a major scheme.

Committee chairman Vivienne Spikings praised the design of the proposed building.

But Elizabeth Watson said it was a “nothing” design, adding: “It would be a wonderful opportunity to do something better.”