Wixams and Wilstead Cllr Graeme Coombes attended a meeting of Bedford Borough Council's Planning Committee on Monday evening to speak on applications for new primary and academy secondary schools for Wixams.

The applications were approved by members of the Committee, paving the way for the development of both schools which will be situated off Green Lane.  The primary school will cater for 420 pupils while the secondary school will offer 824 places.

Following the meeting, Cllr Coombes made the following comments:

‘I was supportive of the development and want to see both new schools built, which will allow local parents to have their children educated at Wixams from 4-19, without having to send them out of area with all the associated transport costs. This is what sustainable development should be about.

‘I did though have major concerns about the plans for parking and drop-off at the new schools and raised this with the Committee. We have already seen the problems with inconsiderate parking outside Lakeview School, sometimes directly contravening the no-parking zone. The plans made no provision for a drop-off zone and I know full well that this will just push the parking issue out into local roads, creating havoc for residents. I have been told that it was believed by the applicants that if they didn't provide a drop-off zone, it might encourage parents and pupils to walk to school. This is frankly optimistic, as we know the reality to be completely different and we see traffic problems outside schools across the Borough and wider afield.

‘The Highways team at the Council had also raised this matter and were opposed to any application without a sufficient parking plan. 

‘When it came to a vote, 4 planning committee members voted for approval, whilst 5 abstained. Though the Planning Committee members in general were enthusiastic, like me, about the prospect of 2 new schools at Wixams, many agreed with the points put forward by both Highways and myself about the parking issue.

‘The short window for building the school to get it open in time presented a real dilemma, however, between approval without sufficient parking plans in place or potentially losing the whole project.

‘I will now need to take up the traffic issue directly with the Borough's Highways team to see what can be done before work starts. I would not like to see the plans develop without a clear traffic/parking strategy in place for the schools, or we are more or less guaranteed traffic chaos when the schools open.

‘I am pleased we are at last seeing some more infrastructure being put in place, but it cannot be at the expense of common sense and solving one problem whilst creating another. I am, however, looking forward to the opening of these schools and giving parents a more local choice of school for their children.’