Officers' backing raises hopes for city primary school project

Bradford Council wants to extend Bradford Academy in Teasdale Street, East Bowling, to create the new facility plus nursery to meet the growing demand for school places in the area.

The primary would have places for around 420 pupils aged from five to 11 years old plus 30 nursery places for children from age three years old.

If the council backs the scheme, the extension would create a through age academy on the site and the new facility would be scheduled to open in September 2012.

A report to be considered by the local authority's area planning panel (Bradford) on Thursday advises councillors to approve the outline application.

The report says: "The application has demonstrated that the site does not result in the loss of land capable of forming playing pitches and that the site is capable of accommodating the development without causing any significant harm to the amenities of neighbouring properties, visual amenity or highway safety."

However, the proposed development has raised some concerns from residents in the area.

Critics fear the extension at Bradford Academy, together with an application for a school for children with educational social behavioural difficulties on Flockton Road will lead to a rise in traffic resulting in harm to highway and pedestrian safety.

People have also said they feel that the construction of the new primary school will increase "problems encountered by neighbours" and that it will lead to a rise in the amount of litter generated by students.

But the report says it would not automatically lead to more litter.

Residents are also concerned about primary school children mixed with Special Educational Needs children from the proposed new school on Flockton Road and fear "this could encourage bad behaviour from the primary school pupils."

However, the report to be considered by councillors on Thursday points out that there is an established Special Educational Needs school on Bolling Road near to the school site and that the schools have co-existed for many years without problems.

Critics have also claimed there is "no need" for another school in the area and have suggested the school should be built in an area where there is a need.

But the report says the expansion of Bradford Academy is due to a strong demand for places at the school and a growing population in the district.

Bradford has the fastest growing population of any major city in the country and the local authority needs to provide 40,000 extra school places by 2020.

According to the report, the proposed extension will improve facilities which can be used by people living in the area.

It says: "The school provides an important community facility in this residential area and the proposed extension will enhance the facilities available for the use of the surrounding community."

Bradford Council's executive member for children and young people, Coun Ralph Berry, said yesterday: "We are supporting this application because we have an urgent need for more school places in that area – it is extremely urgent.

"The principle of all through primary and secondary has been established at Appleton Academy in Wyke and Dixons Academy in Allerton. We have been closely working with Bradford Academy to secure this proposal and it has my support.

"It is a very built up area and some parents are having to send their children unreasonable distances from home to get to school."

If the area planning panel approves the outline application, it still must be considered by the council's regulatory and appeals committee and Secretary of State as appropriate.