THE Orsett Heath Academy is set to get a new school building after councillors gave it the go ahead.
The school will have a three storey teaching block, a two storey sports hall and a single storey activity studio on land adjacent to Blackshots Stadium on either side of Stanford Road, Grays.
The development on a site currently occupied by Thurrock Rugby Club’s junior pitches, will cater for 1,200 pupils and 100 staff.
Councillors almost unanimously backed the controversial scheme on Thursday, despite fears over traffic, in order to alleviate a growing need for secondary school places in the borough.
There were fears over the school buildings being separated by a main road. Speaking after the meeting Mike Fletcher, Labour councillor for Belhus ward, said: “Basically there was concern over the fact we are putting a large school astride a fairly busy main road. Highways kept coming back to road management but it wasn’t traffic management it was safety that concerned us.
“There is a bridge and they are putting in another crossing so it’s not a disaster waiting to happen it was just a concern for a few of us that there ought to be more recognition about road safety. To me it was like it was being a little glibly dismissed.”
Mr Fletcher who voted against the application, added: “The point being made by the Tories and councillor Holland who did a lot of hard work to get the school up and running was that there wasn’t anywhere else to put it.
“I’d have liked to have approved it on its merits. We have kids going to school outside the borough which isn’t right and we need to build more homes so we need another large school but is that in itself enough reason to put a school either side of a main road and expose kids to danger.
The council estimates an admissions growth of 5,342 equating to 597 more pupils over the next five years.
Thames Park School which will also deal with the admission growth, is currently under construction.
Orsett Heath Academy was granted permission to operate from the Thurrock Rugby Club site in February 2019 and the school opened in temporary accommodation in September last year. It is run by the South West Essex Community Education Trust which also runs the William Edwards School. A report to Thurrock Council’s planning committee said there was “a pressing need to relocate existing teachers and pupils out of the temporary location into a purpose built and suitable teaching environment”.
The site is on green belt but the report which recommended approval added: “The proposed long term use of the site has the potential to provide a flagship development for the borough. It would ensure positive educational benefits and health benefits and provide aspirational opportunities for young people in the borough.
“This matter should be afforded significant weight in the consideration of the application. This factor was previously presented by the applicant in support of the temporary facilities and the assessment and weight given is consistent with the weight that members afforded this previously.”
