Hopes new car park plans will help ease issues around school
Proposals for a new car park area at a Sunderland school have been lodged with planning chiefs.
Earlier in September, Sunderland City Council’s planning department validated plans for Thornhill Park School off Portland Road in the Barnes ward.
Applicant, the North East Autism Society, applied to the local authority to construct the new car park on part of its existing playing fields.
According to the application form, the development would provide an extra 28 spaces to serve the school.
A design and access statement, submitted on behalf of the applicant, said the school “suffers from parking issues due to staff at the school and the lack of parking currently available”.
The report states, “onstreet parking is widely used and can be exacerbated at peak drop-off and pick-up times associated with Thornhill Park School as well as the nearbyPlainsFarmAcademy.”
The proposed car park, whichwouldbeaccessedfrom the existing access road within the boundary of the site, would provide parking facilities for staff, student dropoffs and visitors to “alleviate” the parking issues in the surrounding area.
A planning consultation on theproposalsisunderwayand commentscanbemadeupuntil October 21, 2021.
The scheme has also been
welcomed by Barnes ward councillor Antony Mullen, who submitted a supporting
statement to the council’s planning authority.
In the statement, Cllr Mullen
said the car park plan represented a “major commitment” from school leaders towards helping to solve parking issues.
Headded:“Ihopetoseethe school’s service provision expand, but with that expansion will come more staff members still and that necessitates the school having a much more extensive car park than it currently does.”
Thornhill Park School is an independent specialist school for pupils aged four to 19, catering for young people from around the region.
Itstatesonitswebsite:“Our mission is to work together inspiring, supporting, celebrating and equipping autistic and neurodiverse children, young people and adults.”
For more information, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal, search planning reference: 21/01556/FUL