Spennymoor primary school passed - but concerns raised over vehicles

A warning was sounded, however, about potential parking issues and possible traffic "chaos" at pick-up and drop-off times.

Durham County Council applied for planning permission to build a new 630-place primary school off Durham Road, Spennymoor.

It will be built on the site of the former Tudhoe Grange Comprehensive School, which closed in 2012 and was later knocked down.

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Sport England objected to the reduction of available playing field space, though the council said the empty, grassed, 3.6-hectare site had not been used as playing fields for more than a decade.

Two other letters of objection raised issues of traffic, parking and road safety.

Senior planning officer Chris Shields said: "The proposed development would provide a modern efficient primary school for Spennymoor on a site formerly in use for education purposes.

"This would be of significant benefit to the community."

The plan was recommended for approval by planning officers and debated by the council's planning committee.

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Councillor Patricia Jopling said: "I don't have any issue with this. I think it would be lovely for the area."

Cllr Peter Molloy, representing Spennymoor, said a school was needed but raised school opening hours and traffic problems with other nearby schools.

He said: "There are parking issues along that road.

"I think those issues would be exacerbated with the school there.

Cllr Peter Molloy. Picture: Northern Echo.

"Why wasn't consideration put in to a drive-in, drop-off facility, which would be helpful to local residents?"

Cllr David Boyes said: "One of the big complaints... is the lack of primary school places to accommodate the new housing developments.

"This is an ideal opportunity to help in that regard.

Cllr David Boyes. Picture: Durham County Council.

"There should be a bit more of a drop-off, pick-up point within the scheme.

"But I'm whole-heartedly in support of this particular scheme."

Mr Shields replied a drop-off area could not be added in now and they wanted to discourage car use.

He said: "The issue with adding in parent drop-offs is that encourages parents to drop off their children at school rather than doing the alternative, which is walking and cycling, which we're trying to encourage.

"The application has been accompanied by a travel plan to get people to use alternative modes of transport. There's provision for cycle and scooter storage, there are bus stops right outside."

Cllr Mike McGaun said: "The devil's in the detail and actually what Pete's saying is quite vital.

"I represent a ward which is exactly the same, with three schools in very close proximity and it's chaos.

"Going along Durham Road with a bicycle at rush hour I don't think is a particularly good idea."

With a suggestion to look at the travel plan again and come up with a possible car park management plan, the scheme was passed unanimously.

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