Plans unveiled for new school in Uplyme (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Plans unveiled for new school in Uplyme

5:00pm Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Anne Bell

AMBITIOUS plans for a new primary school have been put on show.

The trustees and teaching staff of Mrs Ethelston’s Primary School held a two-day exhibition at the school building in Uplyme to present proposals for a new, relocated primary school on land between Uplyme Village Hall and the Guinness housing currently under construction on Lyme Road.

At the exhibition, which showcased plans for the proposed build on display boards and the children’s ideas for a new school, members of the School Build Planning Team answered questions and those attending were asked to complete feedback forms.

The current school provides limited teaching space; no school hall for assembly, lunchtimes or wet play; inadequate facilities; no grassed area for outside sports; and has subsidence issues.

There are only six classrooms for seven different year groups.

“The existing school cannot be improved in situ,” explained chairman of the trustees Neil Pullinger.

“The site is too small and there are land stability issues. A major reconfiguration of the existing school would be very expensive and disruptive and would fail to deliver the step-change in facilities that is so badly needed.”

The build proposal includes a new two-storey school building incorporating a hall, seven classrooms, administration offices, storage and visitor reception, as well as a grassed area for sports.

The design and layout of the proposal have been shaped by planning, transportation and flood risk considerations.

The school building will be set back from the Guinness housing and Lyme Road and will be designed to complement the village.

The location of the proposed school building has been established following extensive modelling and discussions with the Environment Agency, which has now accepted the principle of the layout.

Headteacher Andrea Rice said: "We are delighted at the way the community has got behind our plans to relocate the school so that we can continue to provide an outstanding education to Uplyme’s children into the future.”

Mr Pullinger added: “This was a very well attended community event. Many people told me how impressed they were with the quality of the proposals.

“While I am delighted at the way the exhibition went, this is really only the start of the public phase of our proposals.

“We will be submitting a planning application later next month.

“We will then be working towards a favour-able outcome.”