£1.9m “recipe for mayhem” development sparks child safety fears

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Plans for a £1.9million housing development ‘ignored’ a local primary school and could have dangerous implications for child safety, a head teacher has said.

Ian George, Head teacher of Janvrin Primary School, says that current congestion levels in the area are sometimes so bad that it is impossible for emergency vehicles to get up La Pouquelaye at key times.

But this congestion could be set to worsen if the formerly pedestrianised Patrick Freely lane is allowed to open to traffic as part of a £1.9million transformation of the former Maison de Ville care home into 28 two-bedroom apartments for over 55s. 

The site was controversially awarded to Dandara in March this year, following a long-fought battle by neighbouring residents to turn the area into a community park. Many of their concerns had centred around the lack of traffic plan to manage the new flow of residents down Patrick Freely Lane, which they say remains unresolved.

They say that the creation of a ‘rat run’ could pose serious risks to Janvrin Primary School’s community of more than 300 children, who currently use the unopened lane as a safe, traffic-free route to school.

Pictured: Children on their way to Janvrin Primary School could come into close contact with heavy vehicles during the construction phase, the school's Head Teacher warned.

Despite potential dangers for children, however, Mr George explained that Janvrin had not once been mentioned within the plans for the site. He said that it was “frustrating that another large residential build is being developed so close to a large school in a very restricted area” and that the “physical presence of the school appears to be ignored.”

 “We have had a number of issues where traffic has built up on La Pouquelaye and vehicles driving on to the pavement to get around static cars turning into the school…Another residential area will only increase this congestion,” he told Express.

“We also have an issue with public parking on the school site which causes further congestion as families have to queue for fewer available spaces. Another residential building with limited spaces could easily encourage the access to the school’s parking spaces. One morning last week I had to call the police because someone had left their blocking the exit lane. This incident could have caused a serious injury with cars over taking at the entrance as other cars are coming in.” 

Pictured: A map of the proposed area of development, including the site of what would be new road, 'Freeley Lane'.

Mr George also expressed concern over alterations to the pavement opposite the school entrance during the construction phase, which could bring heavy duty vehicles within close proximity to children, as well as access, noise and pollution concerns.

“The timing of this development therefore needs to be taken into consideration. I had an incident the weekend before school started where the bottom of La Pouquelaye was closed and I had to ask the contractors to open the road for the beginning of term. If the road hadn’t been opened, I would have had to consider delaying the opening of the school and start of term,” he said.

Feeling that she had “nowhere else to turn”, local resident Anne Pasturel, who fervently campaigned against the development, has since written to the Environment Minister on behalf of property owners in the area. 

Pictured: A bird's eye view of the affected area. (Google Maps)

In a letter posted on the Planning Application website, she described the development as a “recipe for mayhem”, adding: “The area and roads round it are at saturation point, a halt must be drawn somewhere. This area is supposed to be a medium density, low rise, green backdrop zone – all of the above are disappearing rapidly.”