A top York secondary school is set to expand by building a new teaching block to make room for more students.
Fulford School has lodged plans for a new two-storey building, the demolition of some temporary blocks and a new external lift to make the Bronte building more accessible.
The proposals also include plans for a new access road on to Germany Beck – with buses set to enter the school from Fulfordgate and exit by the new route.
This plan has been controversial – with householders in Fulfordgate pushing for the new Germany Beck access road to become the entry and exit point for the school.
They have complained for years about the “absolute chaos” in Fulfordgate every weekday morning and afternoon, when a convoy of school buses trundles along to enter and leave Fulford School, and when parents also drop off and pick up their children.
But the planning application says transport consultants judged the one-way system to be the best option.
Significant overcrowding
Fulford School is rated outstanding by Ofsted and heavily oversubscribed. Under council plans to increase the number of school places, it is set to increase its pupil numbers from around 1,300 to 1,860.
A planning statement says: “It is noted by the school that one area in particular suffers from significant overcrowding, has no [disabled] access to upper floors and has undersized teaching spaces. This building is referred to as Bronte building and is where English is currently taught.”
Part of the Hawkings block is set to be demolished and a two-storey art, drama and English teaching block built.
It says: “The new building will cater for all year groups across the school, providing additional general teaching, specialist art studios, specialist drama studios, staff, storage and WC facilities.
“Several classrooms within the retained Hawking building will undergo minor refurbishment and reconfiguration to allow for better adjacencies of existing departments.”
Several consultations have been held about the plans, including an event earlier this month.
The application says: “The school is very aware of its duties to work as a good neighbour to local residential properties.
“With the School being within a residential area, inevitably, the travel and traffic movements to and from the School are a fundamental concern for local residents, planners and the School itself. Given this pressure, we understand that tackling this problem is fundamental to the successful development of the School both in the short and long-term.”
View the application here.