Councillors slam secret homes plan at school (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Councillors slam secret homes plan at school

TOWN councillors in Marlborough have joined the storm over St John's School throwing in eleventh hour plans for 45 homes next to its proposed single-site school.

On Monday the planning committee opposed the school's latest plans after residents and councillors had spoken out against them.

About 30 residents of Orchard Road, Cherry Orchard and Ducks Meadow attended the planning meeting in the town hall.

There was applause when former mayor Coun Nick Fogg asked how St John's could describe itself as a community school when it failed to consult neighbouring residents or the council about its plans.

Councillors were dismayed to hear the school's architects had declined an invitation to attend the meeting to discuss the new homes plan. Head teacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood was also sent an invitation but did not attend.

St John's and its partnership developers Crest Nicholson are still waiting for Kennet District Council to decide whether to allow controversial plans for 170 homes on the lower school site in Chopping Knife Lane.

The school needs to raise £20 million to pay for the single site school it wants to build on its Orchard Road site.

Residents and town councillors have voiced concern the school did not include the extra 45 homes on its Orchard Road site in with its planning application for a new school which Kennet approved last November.

They have expressed consternation over suspicions that the school knew all along about the 45 homes but held back on the plans.

Deputy mayor Bryan Castle told residents: "You are right when you say we have been diddled".

Alec Light from Orchard Road said: "We are not against the new school but we do feel we have been hoodwinked and conned by the school."

The council agreed to oppose the 45 homes because of the extra traffic they would create, because the school had failed to present an overall plan of its intentions, and because of the lack of room at the school for any future expansion.