RESIDENTS have been led to believe a new school would ‘definitely’ be coming to Winnington Urban Village.

That is the view of Northwich town councillors, who are opposed to plans for a major expansion at Winnington Park Primary School.

The site is currently used as a one-form entry primary school and nursery, and to meet increasing demand the governing body intends to provide an additional 210 new pupil places.

The school proposes to expand the existing school from 210 places (one-form entry) to 420 (two-form entry) to begin during the 2017/18 academic year to ensure there are enough pupil places locally.

The school is seeking planning approval from Cheshire West and Chester Council to build a new two-storey teaching block on the school site.

If approved the building work would take place over six months, from the spring to summer of 2017.

The planning application was considered by Northwich Town Council’s Planning and Environment Committee, which is opposed to the scheme because of its impact on the local road network.

“A situation has been allowed to develop in Northwich where residents have been led to believe that a new school will definitely be coming to Winnington Urban Village,” said the committee.

“Allowing myths like this to perpetuate damages public confidence in the planning system when promises appear to go undelivered.

“We urge you [Cheshire West and Chester Council] not to allow this situation to arise again with future major developments in Northwich or elsewhere.

“Our strong preference would have been for a new school, or a split site of Winnington Park Primary School, to have been delivered in Winnington Urban Village.”

The committee said the transport statement prepared for the applicant had little to say on the impact of the scheme on the junctions of Moss Road/Firdale Road, Chester Road/Moss Road, and Winnington Lane/Moss Road.

“Moss Road is a key link road between Winnington and Castle,” said the committee.

“It is very busy, and extremely congested at one end, being effectively single file through the terraced area at the north end.”

The committee believed extra vehicle movements following the expansion would create an unacceptable impact on the junctions, and if Cheshire West approved the scheme improvements should be made to the Moss Farm parking capacity and pedestrian and cycle links through Moss Farm from Winnington Urban Village.