One of the area’s best primary schools should be knocked down and rebuilt elsewhere amid fears about the building of new classrooms.
Parish councillors and residents have put forward the controversial suggestion as part of the planning procedure for a further extension at Pinchbeck East Primary School.
Lincolnshire County Council wants to add a further two classrooms and make other changes to the site, including a new parking area, new access from the village’s Knight Street, remodelling of an existing car park, a new reception office, staffroom extension and extended playground.
But Pinchbeck Parish Council and people living near the school fear the expansion will increase traffic around the school at drop off and pick up times, increasing the risk of accidents involving pupils and other pedestrians and cyclists.
In comments forwarded to the county council by the parish council, they suggested: “The schools of Pinchbeck and Surfleet could amalgamate, the current school site could be sold for housing and a new school built elsewhere.”
Surfleet Primary School is currently rated as “requires improvement” by Ofsted, while Pinchbeck has an “outstanding” rating.
Both schools share executive headteacher Tom Verity.
The plans have also attracted comments from three residents, including a representative of Fennell Road/Knight Street Residents and the Spalding North Rural Community Panel, which also included calls for the “construction of a new school away from the village centre”.
Both residents and parish councillors also called for improved road safety measures including a new pelican or zebra crossing on Knight Street, 20mph speed limits on Fennell Road and Knight Street and a ban on HGVs and tractors and trailers using Knight Street.
Lincolnshire County Council’s planning and regulation committee will discuss the plans on Monday, when members will be told that the latest extension at Pinchbeck East is necessary to meet the growing demand for primary school places.
The school was previously extended just last year when two new classrooms and a replacement play area were built.
Both extensions would allow the school to cater for a “two class intake” – 60 pupils – each year instead of the previous one and a half (45 pupils).
The growth would see the school rise to 420 pupils over the next seven years.
