Turing House School's project team have announced the timetable for their planning application.
Bowmer & Kirkland will submit the planning application for the schools' new site on Hospital Bridge Road later this year. The construction company are ready to share the draft plans and welcome feedback from the community.
There will be two public exhibitions, on Friday, July 13 between 3 pm- 8 pm and Saturday, July 14 between 10am-2pm at Whitton Methodist Church on Percy Road.
Edwin Sutton from Bowmer & Kirkland said: “We are delighted to be able to share our draft plans for Turing House School with the community. Having taken early soundings from officers at Richmond Borough Council we hope that local people will be reassured by the sympathetic placing of buildings and the retention of the majority of open space within the site.”
Colin Mackinlay, Head of Turing House School commented: “We are pleased to move forward with a carefully considered plan for our permanent home. We are aware that there have previously been concerns raised by some residents about the Hospital Bridge Road site which the project team will address through the consultation and in the planning application documents.”
Bowmer and Kirkland will review the feedback and submit a planning application later this year. If approved, Turing House School aim to open their new site in 2020.
The plans for the new site include a car park and open spaces, which can be used by the public.
The secondary school opened in 2015 and currently operates from temporary accommodation in Teddington. A second site in Hampton will open this September, will provide temporary accommodation for the new year 7 intake.
The new site will accommodate 1050 students aged 11-18 and will ‘match the demands of the 21st-century curriculum, designed to modern sustainable standards in line with the London Plan’.
The site layout shows that the school will have a multi-use games area as well as a car park. The remainder of the site will have an outdoor PE area which will be available to community use. There are informal social spaces and improvements to the habitat corridor.
After hearing the initial concerns from residents, Bowmer & Kirkland have made sure existing green spaces on the site kept.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) appointed Bowmer & Kirkland earlier this year, the constructors have put together an ‘expert’ team of architects planners and transport consultants, all of whom have been working on the proposals.
People can also air their views on www.anewhomeforturinghouse.co.uk if they are unable to attend the consultation days later this month.
Ahead of the consultation, the council debated the Turing House petition, which said the Hospital Bridge Road site is not the ideal site for the school.
Cllr Penny Frost said: "Points on public transport, traffic congestion, parking, pollution and health and safety are all cited, together with the potential effect of the admissions policy on nearby schools and the loss of Metropolitan Open Land.
“Meanwhile, we also have to consider the many hundreds of children, their parents, teachers and governors who all need the security of knowing that a permanent site for their school has been secured."
Cllr Gareth Roberts added: "We are listening to residents and we are listening to the school. However, we are in the unfortunate situation now where it might be too late and will continue to put pressure on the ESFA to look at alternative options. We will continue to ensure that the ESFA consult and engage with residents in Heathfield"
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