New school will ‘destroy Fishponds park’

Fishponds residents are fighting against the development of a new school planned to be built on green space directly behind a circle of houses.

A public meeting has been called on Wednesday with many neighbours on Abingdon Road and Honiton Road criticising the plans to expand Chester Park School onto Mayfield Park.

Dozens of objections have already been lodged with the planning application, many suggesting more appropriate brownfield sites for the school and criticising the plans in the year Bristol is European Green Capital.

The city council said the school expansion was vital to keep up with demand for places, adding that all objections would be considered in the consultation stage.

The plans, submitted to the council, show a new two-storey junior school for 360 pupils on the former recreational site of Marfield Park, near Whitehall Rugby Club.

The application is currently pending a decision, but the public consultation ends on Wednesday when a meeting has been called at the Harry Cook Centre on Moorlands Road at 7.30pm.

The plans have gained 25 objections from local residents and a community group is fighting the development.

One resident, Alison Cross, has sent an open letter to the mayor over the new school which will look onto her home, highlighting what he considers are more appropriate brownfield sites

“Many residents enjoy the greenspace, it provides a lovely resource for children to play, and for dog-walkers, and for people to play football and go jogging. The intended building, car parks and associated structures are enormous, and would come right up to, and block off, our back gates. There will be huge issues to do with privacy and noise,” she said.

She added: “I would urge the council to consider its role as Green Capital – what inefficiency is this that derelict suitable land is left to the vandals and flytippers, while the beautiful, well-used parks are being destroyed?”

Paul Jacobs, service director for education and skills at Bristol City Council, said: “The plans to expand Chester Park Infant and Junior Schools are designed to provide much needed school places in this area of Bristol. It is proposed that both schools expand to three forms of entry to keep up with demand from local parents.

“This will also ensure that all pupils who attend the Infant School are able to move up to the Junior School if they wish. This is not currently the case as places at the Junior School are more limited.

“The existing school sites are restricted and the buildings in need of improvement so it is necessary for the school to expand to another site. The council undertook a search to find suitable sites nearby and the land in Fishponds was identified as being ideally placed to accommodate the Junior School along with playing fields for the children to use.

“The location of the land also meant children would be able to walk between the buildings safely. It is proposed that the playing fields will be available for sporting activities.

“The council is currently conducting a formal consultation about the plans and the public are invited to get in touch with their views, which will be taken into consideration.”

Full details of the plans can be found here.