New classrooms approved for East End primary school

Basingstoke councillors yesterday evening (Wed) approved plans submitted by St Martin’s Primary School headteacher, Peter Shelton, to build a single storey double classroom at the Stargrove Lane school site.
One of the new classrooms will replace the current reception classroom and the other will allow the reinstatement of the school library and a study room, both temporarily converted to small classrooms.
Mr Shelton, who was at the meeting together with the school’s chairman of governors, Colin Bonner, said the school’s last Ofsted report had been, he said: “Good,” but facilities were letting pupils down:
“Sadly school facilities do not match up to the education we are trying to provide. All we are asking for is a 21st century facility to provide a 21st century education,” said Mr Shelton.
Villagers opposing the application were represented by Donald MacKinnon, a lifelong villager and parent of a former pupil at the school, who said traffic problems had been mounting for years, in line with expansion of the school, where pupil numbers had risen from 83, to 120, since 2002:
“The village was not designed for this volume of traffic. The (Stargrove) lane is only six metres wide, narrowing to three metres in places,” said Mr MacKinnon.
“Lorries get stuck, tractors can’t pass, residents drives get blocked and even the school’s own bus can’t turn.”
A total 16 letters of objection and 15 letters in support were received in respect of the application.
Borough councillors voted by a substantial majority in favour of the proposals and after planning officers also recommended approval.