Penarth News
Penarth primary school waiting on approval for land sale plan
8:40am Wednesday 22nd February 2012
EVENLODE Primary School is awaiting planning approval from the Vale of Glamorgan Council on a deal which would see surplus land at the site sold off to fund a new school hall.
The proposal - to sell 860 square meters of land - is currently awaiting consultation responses.
The school submitted separate applications for the construction of a two-storey dwelling on land owned by the school adjacent to Robinswood Crescent, and for the construction of a new single-storey school hall and associated parking.
Chair of governors Ceri Griffiths said the deal, agreed in principal, would be a straight exchange - with the surplus land put up for sale and all proceeds going towards the creation of the 'badly needed' school hall.
“This is something we have needed for a number of years,” he said.
“The school grounds are well in excess of education requirements in terms of size so it makes sense financially.”
Mr Griffiths, an architect, said the school would get 'value for money', with parents like himself willing to provide professional skills for free.
“I put in the applications on behalf of the governors and will design and manage the project,” he said.
“Others have also pledged to help, to reduce costs.”
A Vale Council spokesperson said: “The council has supported Evenlode Primary by allowing them to sell an unused area of land to generate the funding required for a new hall.
“Normally, the proceeds of the sale of land owned by the authority would be used for priorities set out in the council's Capital Programme, but in this instance it is contributing the proceeds to the school hall.”
Built in the early 1970s and designed for around 200 children, school inspectors criticised the existing hall, saying it was too small to cope with the 420 pupils educated at the site.
However, one nearby resident expressed concern.
“The building of a new hall is a very laudible project, but I’m not sure I quite agree with the means of achieving it,” said the resident.
“It seems a considerable area of land is to be sold, so it will be a large house. That urbanises the area further and will obscure the general view for immediate neighbours, which I’m sure they will be concerned at.”