MAJOR plans to add a sports hall, a new teaching block and new music rooms to a village school have been given the go-ahead.
Holmer Green Senior School will get the makeover following planning approval from Buckinghamshire Council.
The works also include demolishing a single-storey building, refurbishments to existing buildings and new parking spaces at the site.
Council bosses applied for the extension so the school can accommodate 265 more students in the coming years, with an extra 15 staff planned too.
Here’s what will appear on the Holmer Green site in years to come:
New teaching block
This will be built on land northwest of the current school currently occupied by the playground.
It will provide classrooms, stores, offices and toilets.
Sports Hall
This will also be added to the northwest of the school site and will be Sport England compliant.
Four badminton courts will be part of the hall, which will also include stores, toilets and changing rooms.
An internal courtyard between the hall and the teaching block will connect the new buildings with the rest of the school.
Music rooms
Two small extensions will be added to the northeast part of the school to create five music rooms.
This means the main entrance to the school will be relocated.
The current music block will be demolished to make way for staff car parking spaces.
Parking spaces
Another 16 car parking spaces will be added for staff, taking the total from 82 to 98, as well as 48 more bike spaces.
A new staff-only vehicle access point will be created from Watchet Lane.
Councillors unanimously approved the expansion plans despite reservations from Little Missenden Parish Council and residents about congestion on Watchet Lane.
A representative from the parish council told councillors: “There is no provision for visitor or sixth form parking.
“The school has stopped sixth formers parking in Parish Piece but this has merely shifted the problem.
“The planned Watchet Lane entrance pushes parking back down toward the busy Wycombe Road Watchet Lane junction.
“There is already severe congestion.
They added: “Buckinghamshire Council’s travel report states the roundabout junction Beech Tree Road Watchet Lane and the T-junction road Watchet Lane are at maximum capacity.
“Traffic here travels up Holmer Green road towards Hazelmere crossroads.
“The result is gridlock.
“As most pupils attending Holmer Green senior school will be from the High Wycombe direction this will further impact upon these roads and junctions.”
The representative also raised concerns about the bus routes through this area and supposed inaccuracies in a travel plan designed to mitigate congestion near the school once the development has been occupied.
They continued: “In conclusion, the parish council finds the school travel plan is incorrect and misleading, the infrastructure cannot contain further traffic.
“Therefore we strongly object on the grounds of safety, congestion and environmental impact.”
In response to this, Buckinghamshire Council’s Strategic Sites committee agreed to a six-month review into the travel plan as part of the approval.
The plans were approved at a virtual meeting on Thursday, June 11.
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