£4m to build new primary school agreed by North Somerset Council
Bloor Homes housing development off Arnolds Way, Yatton. - Credit: Archant
Money to build a new primary school for pupils living in Kingston Seymour and Yatton has been agreed by North Somerset Council.
Bloor Homes housing development off Arnolds Way, Yatton. - Credit: Archant
A £4million project to build a 210-space school was agreed by councillors on November 14 to ensure village children do not need to be transported every day to Clevedon or Congresbury to be taught.
Cllr Jill Iles said the announcement was ‘good news for Yatton’ and meant the village’s children will remain local.
As revealed by the Times two weeks ago, North Somerset Council wants to build a school in Yatton’s North End – an area where several housing developments are either planned or already half built.
The village’s rapid expansion meant a dearth of school places is expected in the years to come, with only a handful of spaces available at the infant and junior schools at the moment.
Projected figures showed about 120 children would live in Yatton and not be able to go to school in the village by 2021, unless a new primary was built.
Bloor Homes has agreed to leave room for the council to build a school at Arnolds Way, within its second phase of development. Those plans, which also include 107 homes and a care village, still need final planning permission.
Cllr Iles said: “When the first developers came to Yatton a few years ago with 150-200 houses, we were all in a bit of shock.
“(At the time) Bloor did offer some land (for a school).
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“As time has gone on we have been worried whether that would ever come forward and I’m very pleased the council fully supports a 210-space school and preschool.”
It is expected that the new facilities will be ready to open by September 2020 or 2021.
The school will be designed so it can be expanded to take 420 pupils in the years to come, if necessary.
Cllr Iles added: “With the growth in the number of houses and possible future development in Yatton, it was always our worry that by 2020/21 there would be no more places.
“Yatton is very much a village and this (school) is very much wanted by the parish council and the community.
“We wish to keep our children in local schools.”
MORE: Plans to turn old factory into housing development revealed.
The council’s funding promise is subject to approval from the Department for Education and planning permission being secured.
