THE extension of Forest and Sandridge Primary School in Melksham will start work during the October half-term and is planned to be finished in the summer holidays 2023.
The plans have been controversial as local residents complained that the current road infrastructure, school drop-off area and limited available parking – which they say is already ‘extremely congested’ and ‘dangerous’ – will be unable to cope with the additional traffic resulting from the increased number of pupils.
In September, Wiltshire councillor, Mike Sankey, who represents the east of Melksham area, successfully requested Wiltshire Council to ‘call in’ the planning application for further scrutiny saying, “It is my view that the building of the extension, should it be permitted, could provide the applicant an opportunity to address some of the issues associated with pupil drop off and collection. If permission is granted, addressing those issues at the same time should be a condition.”
But Wiltshire Council approved the plans which will create four additional classrooms, a studio space, two group rooms, additional toilets and storage. Additionally, internal works to the existing nursery space to enable a new reception classroom to be formed, and the existing car park expanded for staff parking.
The expansion will support the school to increase its reception intake from 60 to 75 from this year. The reception intake increase will result in a “small and gradual” growth of the school in the following years, which currently has approximately 420 pupils.
To ensure disruption is minimised for children during the school day and for the local community, the school principal outlined key things the school will be doing to ensure additional measures are in place. This includes: putting up fencing to separate the school site from the construction site as soon as contractors arrive; contractors using specific parking located at the bottom of the current school car park to ensure disruption to local residents is minimised and contractor vehicles delivering materials to site being restricted during drop off and pick up times
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