King Edmund School

King Edmund School

1. The Council has identified three potential sites for the new access and reserve land for the expansion of the school. These are:

ii. Site KES1: Land to the south east of the school off Oxford Road
iii. Site KES2: Land immediately to the north of the school
iv. Site KES3: Land immediately to the north of the school buildings

2. The allocation of land to enable the expansion of the school is dependent on the future residential allocation in this general location as the school do not have any surplus land. We have held discussions with both Blaise Gammie from School Organisation and Planning at Essex County Council and Mr Abel, the Headmaster of the school. There is agreement that this land, immediately to the north of the school in the most appropriate and preferred location for these improvements. Although the Core Strategy identifies that 3ha of land needs to be reserved for future educational requirements, it has been agreed that the school's requirements in terms of both the reserve land and the highways improvements can be accommodated within 3ha.

3. With regard to the options identified for this development, it is submitted that Option KES2 is the most appropriate and should be identified in the Allocations DPD. This option accords with our proposals for East Ashingdon, which as identified above, will form a planning application to be submitted to the Council shortly.

4. Consideration of each of the three options is set out below.

Option KES1

5. This is the least favourable of the three options identified by the Council. As identified in the supporting text, the access to the school would be concentrated along Oxford Road, which is already very narrow and the extension to the school would be located some distance away from the new school buildings.

Option KES2

6. This option is ideally located and can be delivered as part of the proposals for residential development at East Ashingdon. The planning application, which is in the process of being prepared, includes a land parcel which accords with that shown in option KES2 for the school improvements.

7. An access can be provided off Brays Lane with a bus turning circle to the north of the school buildings. The orientation of the site makes it conveniently located for either new school buildings, new sports pitches or both. The illustrative masterplan has been designed to reflect the school's requirements. It shows the bus turning circle located roughly half way between Brays Lane and the boundary with the school. It is envisaged that a covered walkway will then link the turning circle and the existing buildings. As shown on the illustrative masterplan, this site could accommodate two football pitches on the eastern side, leaving the area between the turning circle and the school buildings for further buildings, if required.

Option KES3

8. Whilst the southern part of this site is well related to the school and its existing buildings in particular, the northern part of the site relates less well to the school. New sports pitches in this location would be divorced from the existing sports pitches and recreation areas and also buildings in this northern part of the site would be some distance from the core of existing school buildings.

9. In view of the above, this option is less desirable than Option KES2, as the latter is extremely well related to the school.

Ref. the above relating to the Brays Lane option for access to King Edmund School expansion.


There appear to be two options.

1) Brays Lane.
This is possible if Brays Lane is up graded and Ashingdon Road widened. This would account for todays congestion with a small extra capacity for some expansion for through traffic. The existing traffic using Brays lane Large lorries from Canewdon, Wallasea and farms clogs up what we have. No new houses needed.

2) Sapwoods. This could come off the existing Ashingdon Road, which still needs to be upgraded. through the farm field. Crossing Oxford Rod into the existing access to King Edmund School. This to my mind will cause the least disruption also keeping down costs. More importantly not involving property developers building more houses.
Therefore this is my preferred option with no increase in housing.


My main objections to any further housing are:
1) Road Infrastructure not able to accommodate existing traffic without major up grade. To move away from the area as well as through traffic.
2) Main drainage can't cope now, lifting manhole covers/flooding Brays Lane and Farm fields (I also understand this happens in Stambridge Road as well) so any further increase must be avoided at all costs until sufficient systems are in place.
3)Water, Gas and Electric supplies are also under resourced.