A PRIVATE school has lodged plans for a makeover with a new car park to alleviate traffic trouble and new centrepiece block. 

Yarm Preparatory School wants to replace its existing dining room and changing facility with a “striking” new building at its front – as well as a multi-purpose performance area for drama, assemblies and evening events. 

The blueprints sent to Stockton Council also include “break out spaces” as well as three new classrooms and a dedicated car park off Grammar School Lane. 

Prep school head Bill Sawyer said it was a “hugely exciting project”.

He added: “Our recent investment in facilities across the prep school has allowed us to develop a floodlit all-weather pitch, prep hall and new pre-prep, a dedicated science laboratory and enhanced recreational provision. 

“These together with the superb new plans will enable us to deliver an even broader and richer curriculum. Work will be carried out with very little disruption to pupils’ education.”

The plans also include a new road junction to a 140 space car park within the prep school site to ease congestion on The Spital. 

All existing parent and visitor parking is located on the senior Yarm School site with no parking at the prep school. 

The design statement explains this creates congestion at peak drop-off and pick up times.

The report adds: “As a result, it is a common occurrence for parents to park along the Spital in front of the nursery and pre-prep school buildings. 

“The combination of this ad-hoc parking, together with the existing arrangement of school coaches parked along The Spital, creates a potentially hazardous environment for parents and children and is perceived by many as exacerbating the slow movement of traffic through Yarm along its main artery, The Spital.”

Mr Sawyer believed the car park would support the road network of the town.

The head teacher said: “We are keen to resolve long-standing issues, which impact on traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

“Staff and parents will have dedicated parking and drop-off areas – with additional provision for sixth-form students at the main school. 

“This will alleviate parking issues, which cause inconvenience to local people and we expect will be welcomed by motorists and the local community.”

The preparatory, its “pre-prep” and nursery schools all have 374 pupils, 22 teachers and 25 non-teaching staff within them with buildings on the old grammar school site dating back to the 19th century.

A refurbishment to the site’s library, a design technology workshop and an extension to the nursery are all part of the plans. 

But the improvement works are not due to increase pupil numbers at the fee paying school.