A £500,000 project to extend a Chelmsford school has been given the thumbs-up by parents and residents ahead of a formal submission to planners.
A steady stream of people dropped in to an exhibition of the plans to extend and remodel Oaklands Infant School to provide space for another 30 pupils from next September.
Representatives from Essex County Council and building contractors Hutton were on hand at the Old Moulsham school to answer questions about the project, which will see a new classroom built and the hall extended, enabling it to up its roll from 150 to 180 pupils.
Among those who dropped in on Monday last week was Marcia Payne, who taught at the school for more than 20 years. When she started there, the school had 120 pupils in three classes.
She said: "I'm in favour of the extension as it will make the school a two form entry and will mean no more mixed-age classes. However, I am concerned there will not be enough playing space for the children as the new classroom takes up some of the playground.
"My solution would be to put artificial turf on the grassed playing area so it can be used all year round."
John Wilson, who lives next door to the Vicarage Road school, had concerns about a further increase in the amount of cars.
He said: "Over the years the number of parents who drive to the school has increased. At drop off and pick up times you sometimes cannot get down the street there are so many cars.
"But I have no objections to the plan as I think it would be good for the children. I think the ideal answer would be if the school site could be expanded so there would be more room for the children to play outside – and for parking."
Another local resident, Steve Campen, said: "I run a business from home so am here to find out the scale of the building work and the amount of noise and disturbance it will bring.
"The school is obviously very popular and I am pleased for the children that they will just be taught within their own year group."
Essex County Council has been given Government funding to provide 240 extra places in the city centre for children starting school next September due to a rise in the number of families needing places.
A spokesman for the authority said: "We had a good number of people visit the exhibition and their comments were overwhelmingly positive.
"We have worked closely with head teacher Cheryl Allard coming up with the design and have offered to turn the soft play area into a hard playground that can be used all year."
The plans for the extension at Oaklands are due to be submitted for planning permission on Wednesday next week.
The school, for four to seven year olds, is graded outstanding by Ofsted and is vastly oversubscribed.
Plans are currently before Chelmsford City Council to extend Moulsham Infants by 90 and Moulsham Junior School by 120 places.
If given the go-ahead, work on all three schools will take place in the spring and summer next year.
