Darlington
Plans to reinstate play area at school
PROPOSALS to reinstate a school
play area will be put before a
council meeting next month.
North Road Primary School is
to undergo a £6.5m redevelopment
project on its current site, in
Pendleton Road South, Darlington.
Darlington Borough Council's
children's service department
proposes the changes would include
a new play area on the existing
play park.
The plans for the school were
launched in February. The schoolhouse,
built in 1915, would be demolished
and a 420-pupil capacity
replacement would be built on
the current school fields.
Early plans, which were drawn
up with the help of local ward
councillors, included a play area
for children in St Paul's Place.
However, consultation showed
residents in the area were concerned
the play park would be a
magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Ward councillor Fred Lawton,
with colleague Mike Barker, later
saw a replacement set of plans
which did not contain a play area.
They were keen for it to be included
and asked the council's
children's scrutiny committee to
seek its retention.
As a result of the concerns on
both sides, officers plan to leave
the play park on land next to
Grass Street.
The play equipment will be installed
on a smaller area of the existing
site to make it more manageable.
A small piece of the
remainder of the land would be
taken over by the school.
Funds have been set aside to
pay for the equipment within the
budget for the school.
Councillor Barker said he had
not yet seen the plans but was
"very pleased" to see the play area
reinstated.
He said: "It is essential to have
play equipment and a play area
for the younger kids in that area
because there is very little in that
part of North Road.
"There is North Road park, but
that is further up the road and the
other side of a busy road."
Councillor Fred Lawton said he
hoped the new play area would be
monitored by police for potential
problems.
The proposals will go to the
council's cabinet meeting in June.
The planning application is expected
to be heard by the council's
planning committee during the
same month.
If the plans are passed, the
scheme will see the new school
open in September 2009. Work will
follow to demolish the old school
buildings to create playing fields.
10:23am Saturday 3rd May 2008
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