Plans to tear down and redevelop part of Dame Allan’s School have been approved by city bosses.
Councillors signed off on the demolition of a series of buildings at Dame Allan’s senior schools in Fenham on Friday morning, so they can be replaced by a new extension with modern classrooms and science labs.
Designs for the transformation of the historic school said that “poor quality” learning environments at the Fowberry Crescent school will be removed and rebuilt.
The school’s arts centre, bursary building, girl’s art room and changing rooms will be demolished.
A two-storey extension will then be built in their place, boasting new classrooms and science labs, offices, a new arts centre, and changing rooms.
Newcastle City Council’s planning committee granted planning permission for the development at a virtual meeting on Friday morning, despite seven objections from neighbours.
Residents had raised fears that the project could make “intolerable” traffic and parking problems when parents pick up and drop off their children even worse.
One neighbour warned the council: “There are a number of issues with parents collecting children when they’re blocking drives, parking over the footpath, or on corners, potentially causing hazards. There are also school buses that partially block roads, bringing the area to a standstill.”
Planning officers told councillors on Friday that the redevelopment was a “well-conceived scheme which has careful consideration given to its neighbours”, saying that access to a new car park at the school would help alleviate traffic issues at peak times.
Committee chair Hazel Stephenson said she was “very pleased” with the new parking provision and environmental features, including a living green wall.
In a letter to the committee, Wingrove ward councillor and deputy council leader said some residents were "really concerned" about an exit for school traffic onto Fowberry Crescent.
She added: "If we hadn't been in response mode to Covid-19 from mid-March, I would have been in touch with the school to suggest a meeting where the issues could be heard from local residents.
"I am working with council officers to try to resolve the issues there already caused by the high number of pupils who travel to school with a parent in a car and the huge problems that causes on pavements, junctions and on the street where residents are unable to get in or out during that busy time."
In its planning application, the school said that the plans would help provide improved facilities for pupils and would not lead to a significant rise in pupil numbers.
The application adds: “The proposals include the demolition of a number of classrooms that have been developed over a number of years resulting in poor quality learning environments with limited accessibility.
“The proposed extension includes the rebuilding of these classrooms at an appropriate size.
“Furthermore the utilisation of the existing classrooms across the site is unacceptably high, leaving little opportunity for the school to differentiate in group sizes according to need.
“Additional classrooms will be provided to reduce the intensity of use and allow a more flexible approach to learning.”
