Steiner Academy Frome looks forward to new home at Park Road

THE STEINER Academy Frome has been given the green light to create its new school on Park Road, on the site of the former medical buildings.

The planning application has been approved by Mendip District Council, with the Highways Authority raising no objections (subject to conditions) to the revised application, but residents and councillors retain concerns over road safety and congestion.

In particular, the application has drawn criticism over its travel plan since it was submitted in October last year. The planning application was due to be resolved in May, but was deferred for three months to allow further development of the traffic plan.

New measures include the provision of a shuttle bus service and staggering of school times for different ages.

The application was considered by Mendip District Council’s planning board on 3rd July, and was approved with 10 votes to nine.

The free school currently operates from the Corsley Centre, and plans to eventually grow to 624 pupils, aged from 4 to 16. The planning permission will allow the school to demolish the existing health centre and part of Victoria Hospital, and build new buildings for the school.

Guy Marson, chair of the school’s board of governors said, “We are delighted to receive the go-ahead for a permanent home at Park Road from September 2014. We responded to local residents’ understandable concerns about traffic with initiatives such as staggered school start and finish times and plans for a shuttle-bus. We will continue to work with the community, our parents and our staff to ensure the school provides a rich and educational resource for the people of Frome.”

The school says its new site will include high specification art and craft workshop facilities, which it hopes to offer for wider community use.

Principal Trevor Mepham said, “While any new school will have its fair share of teething problems, we have worked hard to settle the school this year. We have met some challenges along the way and we have certainly enjoyed the fruits of our first school-year in Corsley. We have appreciated the welcome from members of the village and our interim home for the school is a busy and beautiful place to be. We have a waiting list for every year group and look forward to getting to know our new intake of reception year children in September.”