A HARD-LINE Christian fellowship’s controversial plans to open a new school on a rural lane in Cadmore End have been rejected by councillors - who said there is “no way” the road could cope with the influx of traffic.

A new primary and secondary school site could have been built for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church – a conservative Christian religion which the majority of members are born into - on the equestrian centre in Chequers Lane, but the majority of councillors refused the plans on Wednesday night.

The school would have catered for 275 pupils aged between seven and 18 and would have had a gym and new sports pitches.

The plans caused a stir among residents and leading charity Humanists UK, who branded the Plymouth Brethren “narrowly religious and extremely insular”.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Cllr Jean Teesdale, Cadmore End’s representative, praised the organisation but said the rural area is “simply the wrong place for it”.

She said: “Seeing minibuses coming down that lane, it just beggar’s belief. What would happen if a tractor comes the other way - can you imagine the situation?

“I feel we do have to turn this down. It is the wrong place. It is a beautiful area and we do have to be mindful about what goes in there.”

Cllr Hugh McCarthy said the Plymouth Brethren is a “reputable organisation” but the new school would be “in the wrong place”.

He said: “There is no way the lane would be able to cope with the traffic. It is a well thought-out proposal but in the wrong location. It is regrettable.”

The building’s carbon footprint was also called into question by Cllr Chris Whitehead, who objected to the pupils being transported into the site each morning and taken home every evening by a fleet of 26 minibuses.

The Plymouth Brethren said the school is needed “urgently” because their nearby Stoke Poges site has been purchased by the government and needs to be vacated by the end of 2019 and another in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, has become “unviable”.

They wanted to have the school open and ready for use from September 1.

Nearby residents complained that Chequers Lane is already “incredibly busy” and drivers use the road as a “rat run” when the M40 is blocked and argued a new school site would make the situation worse.