Traffic fears over school plans for car park on sports fields

Richmond House School, an independent school in Otley Road, Leeds, wants to use land earmarked as sports pitches and turn it into a car park and a drop-off and pick-up area with access from Glen Road.

Sport England has raised concerns about the loss of land which is designated for use as a sports pitch and the school has agreed to create another, which will be larger than the area to be lost. As a result Sport England no longer objects to the proposal.

However, members of Leeds City Council’s plans panel west will be told that over 70 residents have raised concerns including fears the scheme will generate additional traffic and parking on surrounding streets and the loss of playing pitches.

Many of the objectors are concerned about the impact of the car park on the outlook of properties in the area, although in a report to members council chiefs say these were received before plans were revised and the car park moved from the northern end of the site.

Three letters of support have also been received.

A report to members says: “The scheme raises a number of issues with regard to highway safety, as the school has a very wide catchment area covering Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and other parts of North and West Yorkshire, which means that children are generally brought to the school by car.

“The school has attended a number of meetings with planning officers and highways officers, and it is clear from those meetings that traditional methods of reducing car journeys, such as school buses or shared journeys, are less effective due to the wide range of journeys and destinations involved.

“The school has in fact explored a wide range of solutions aimed at reducing car travel direct to the school, with a “Park and Stride” scheme operating between the school and the nearby Village Hotel site whereby some parents are able to park at the hotel and walk down to the school with their children. Such schemes, however, have proven insufficient overall in providing safe and practical means for parents of very young children to safely drop off and/or collect them.”

Richmond House is an independent school serving children aged between three and 11 years, located just off the A660 Otley Road.

There have been a number of changes to the scheme since it was first submitted. It originally proposed the car park should be built to the north of the site but instead now proposes a car park and drop-off area to the southern edge of the site.

Officers are now recommending the proposal is given the go-ahead when members of the committee meet tomorrow.

The report adds: “Officers consider that the proposed car park and drop-off area will result in a marked improvement on the existing arrangements for parking at the school, and will provide a more ordered and controlled level of access and egress from the school grounds. It is considered that the introduction of additional waiting restrictions will significantly reduce current levels of congestion in Glen Road and that the overall effect of the scheme will be positive.

“The proposal is likely to improve existing traffic flows both to and adjacent the site, resulting in an overall improvement to existing arrangements.

“There is also likely to be no undue impact on existing levels of neighbouring residential amenity.”

Planning officers are recommending that councillors give the project the green light subject to a number of conditions being agreed.

The conditions include a scheme for parking restrictions on Glen Road to be agreed in writing prior to work starting and for the work to be done to an agreed timetable.

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