NEW SCHOOL PLANS ARE APPROVED

OPPONENTS COMPARE DESIGN TO ‘DETENTION CENTRE’

A new primary school catering for more than 400 pupils will be built on Ashford’s largest housing estate despite criticisms over its design.

Eleven members of Kent County Council’s 13-person planning committee last week approved plans to construct the two-form entry school on the Chilmington Green estate.

The overwhelming support comes as a surprise after several members of Ashford Borough Council’s planning committee recently slammed the plans due to its appearance, with one saying the site reminded them of a “detention centre”.

But Cllr Andy Booth (Con) described the building’s appearance as “aesthetically astonishing” and was one of several KCC members to hail the design during last Wednesday’s public meeting in Maidstone County Hall’s council chamber.

The Swale councillor added: “What a cracking school this looks and something this county should be very proud of.”

His comments come two weeks after the design was criticised by Ashford Borough Council’s ward member Cllr Jessamy Blanford (Con) and Cllr Diccon Spain (Lab) who said the building was unexciting and reminded him of a “detention centre”.

Cllr Spain, the shadow portfolio holder for culture, voiced his disappointment over the plaudits from KCC members, saying: “The ball is in the county council’s court but these opportunities do not come along very often - to have striking architecture in a flagship garden town.

“Once a building is in place it is there for decades... if the design remains unaltered I feel it’s a missed opportunity.”

The school will cater for 420 primary school students and include an outdoor play area, sports field and ecology zone.

In addition, 26 nursery children and 14 pupils with autism will be taught at the site.

Three other primary schools are planned for development in Chilmington Green to cater for the area’s wider development of up to 5,700 new homes and the need to generate about 1,600 primary school places.

Maidstone-based GDM Architects, which drew up the design plan on behalf of KCC, was lauded by members of KCC’s planning committee across all political parties in Maidstone County Hall’s council chamber.

Cllr Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem) and Cllr John Burden (Lab) described the appearance of the buildings as “well designed”.

Ashford borough councillor Paul Bartlett (Con), who is also a Kent county councillor and member of the planning committee, took the side of his colleagues by giving his “full support”.

Cllr Bartlett was one of 11 committee members to back the proposal in the final vote, with one abstention while the chairman did not cast a vote.

■ What do you think of the school’s design? Email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

Work on the first 346 homes of the scheme began in 2018 and construction of the remaining properties will run until 2030

The primary school will form part of the ‘district square’, but its appearance has been likened to a detention centre

The look of the school has been criticised