Council plan for new primary school

PROPOSALS TO build a primary school for children living on a controversial housing estate on a greenfield site have been unveiled.

North Yorkshire County Council’s children and young people’s service has lodged an application with the authority’s planners to build the school which could take up to 420 pupils across a field to cater for families moving to Taylor Wimpey’s Manse Farm development, near Knaresborough, as well as to ease pressure on nearby schools.

Outline planning permission was granted for the 600-home estate near Hay-A-Park Lane in 2018 and last year saw a nearby 402home development at Highfield Farm, on York Road, accepted, despite concerns that it would result in over-development, as the area is in the Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

In documents lodged with planners, it states the development would initially be for 210 pupils to serve the new housing development as well as providing additional capacity for over-subscribed schools in the area.

The paper states the school has been designed as a two-storey building to assist later expansion.

In addition, the proposed school includes a 26-place nursery in the school building, beside the reception class.

Management of the new school will be by an academy provider, which is yet to be selected. The school hall has been designed as a “one-court sports hall” that may enable after-school use by the local community.

The documents say: “This could present an opportunity for the academy to generate additional income.

“Hours of use for communityrelated after-school activities will depend on the extent of community use if this is the academy’s wish.”