A new primary school will be built in Nottingham despite the safety concerns of local businesses. The Waterside Primary Academy will be built at the former CVS site on Trent Lane, after Nottingham City Council gave the proposal planning permission on February 7.
The new school will accommodate 210 primary school children and 30 nursery pupils, employing 22 staff members. The project has been overseen by the Department for Education and would be operated by Greenwood Academy Trust.
The Waterside Primary Academy will be constructed on a brownfield site, known as the former CVS site, to the west of Trent Lane, Nottingham. A car valet and storage business was previously located on the site and some "poor quality" industrial buildings remain on the site, which will be demolished as part of the development of the school.
Read more: Recognition for Nottingham principal praised for 'outstanding contribution'
The school will neighbour a huge number of new, eco-friendly homes that have been built or are in the pipeline at the 250-acre Waterside Redevelopment Zone, which sits on the banks of the River Trent at the south-eastern side of the city. The site is within Trent Basin and the Waterside Redevelopment Zone, but would be built in an area described as being light industrial space, which has caused some concern amongst local businesses.
Planning documents show a number of companies have opposed the plans on safety grounds, with one objector expressing "fear for serious injury/harm to the children you wish to place in the middle of an extremely busy industrial estate". A report on the plans said highways had been identified as a key issue for the development, and that proposals had been "carefully designed" with input from Nottingham City Council’s Highways Officer as a result.
According to planning documents, a number of additional off-site highway measures have also now been incorporated into the proposed layout. These include upgrading the existing Pelican crossing on Daleside Road to a Puffin crossing, removing the planned pedestrian access for pupils directly onto Trent Lane, works to upgrade the footways on either side of Trent Lane, and sections of pedestrian guard railings.
A Nottingham City Council planning officer, cited in the decision report, concluded: "The objections of local businesses to a primary school on the site to the safety of children arriving and departing from the school have therefore been given full consideration, resulting in a range of proposed off-site highway measures as well as the review of the design of Kilpin Way to a two-way traffic route.
"The allocated regeneration of the area will see change happening over an extended period of time, including further changes to the highway network, and with new roads (Kilpin Way),new connections to existing roads (Riverside Way), and further traffic regulations to be progressed. The management of traffic movement in the area will therefore need to remain dynamic to the needs of new and existing developments as new developments come forward, but will remain focussed on outcomes that respects the needs of all users."
A total of 20 parking bays will be provided for the site, accessed by Kilpin Way, of which two will be dedicated for disabled users. There will also be two bays with Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, a single minibus bay, and 10 bike stands will be provided.
Read next:
Nottingham City Council avoids government intervention but warned not to 'loosen its grip'
Beloved mum suffers 'severe' injuries in crash as family call for answers
Neighbours concerned as 'scary' police cordon set up after stabbing
Nottingham Forest medical revealed after free agent rejects Everton transfer
Police statement as students locked in Nottingham College after stabbing
