Plans for controversial new Catholic school in Peterborough submitted

The 630 place St John Henry Newman School is due to open in Hampton Water next year.

The maintained voluntary aided school run by the Diocese of East Anglia school will be the first state-funded Catholic school in England for more than 10 years, but its admissions policy has angered local residents who fear their child will miss out on a place.

If the school is oversubscribed then 20 per cent of the pupils will be chosen based on their proximity to it, with 80 per cent selected on religious grounds, although the school has said that any local child wanting a place is expected to get one.

According to plans submitted to Peterborough City Council, the school will have 630 places for primary school pupils and a 26 place nursery off Aqua Drive.

Initially, places will only be available for pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2.

Under the plans, which have been submitted by Eco Modular Buildings Limited on behalf of Peterborough City Council, classrooms for the youngest pupils would be on the ground floor, with 12 on the second floor for 360 Key Stage 2 pupils.

If approved, the building would have two teaching wings, as well as a courtyard area for hard outdoor play, soft play areas and playing fields for sports including football, cricket and athletics.

Other facilities include a: nursery playroom, studio, main and small hall, library, sensory room and food, science and design technology room.

The plans are for there to be 76 parking spaces, including six disabled and four electric vehicle charging point bays.

Secure cycle parking with 106 spaces is also due to be provided.

Access to the school would be via a one-way system through the car park where there would be eight drop-off bays and a drop-off turning area.

The primary would have solar panels on the roof but no changing room facilities, with children expected to get changed for PE lessons in toilets.

Residents in Hampton Water have argued that there will be an increase in traffic due to pupils being driven into the new school.

However, a Transport Assessment prepared by Clancy Consulting Limited disputes this.

It concluded that, during peak hours, it is expected there will be a total of 66 two-way additional staff and pupil trips by vehicle as the majority of pupils would come from within Hampton Water.

It added: “It is considered that this volume of traffic is within the day-to-day variation of traffic and can easily, and safely, be accommodated by the local transport network.”

It also said that data showed in the A15 London Road/Aqua Drive/Eagle Way area, between 2015 and 2019 there had been six slight collisions, and none after May 2018, since when the junction is said to have “undergone improvements”.

The new school is being 90 per cent funded by the Government.