School relocation plan approved despite objections

Plans to rebuild and relocate a primary school have been approved, despite dozens of objections.

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School in Sunderland submitted proposals to construct a single-storey building on a field just 200m (660ft) to the south of its existing home on Smith Street.

A petition called Preserve Ryhope's Community Field saw more than 100 signatures, while those responding to a consultation spoke of traffic and noise concerns, loss of privacy and impact on wildlife.

Labour-led Sunderland City Council approved the application following a recommendation to do so by its planning officers.

Concerns included how close it would be to homes and the loss of green field used by the community for children to play and for dog walkers, a committee report summarised.

One member of the public, speaking at Monday's planning meeting, said he was not objecting to the new school but was concerned about the "traffic implications" for Stockton Road, which already serves a hospital, nursery and ambulance station.

Following comments from National Highways, Nexus, Active Travel England and the council's future transport team, planners concluded it "would be in a sustainable location and would have no unacceptable impacts on the highway network in terms of capacity or safety".

Highway mitigation measures would be put in place before the school opened, council planning documents added.

The plans won unanimous support from members of the council's planning and highways committee, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The new facility would have capacity for 236 pupils aged between four and 11 and the existing school would remain open during construction.

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