School extension needed as student numbers grow

THE Piggott School in Wargrave is set to take another 210 pupils after plans for new buildings and facilities were approved.

The move is in response to an increase in the school roll which is said to have made organising the timetable “challenging”.

The new development will include a multi-use hall and an extension to the science block while the dining hall would be turned into a new admin block and drama hall with a new entrance.

Wokingham Borough Council, the planning authority, approved the scheme on the recommendation of officers.

A report to councillors said the need to expand the school represented “very special circumstances” which justified building in the green belt.

It said: “There would be no harm to neighbours, subject to conditions and sufficient parking.

“There has been an increase in pupil numbers in recent years.

“Timetabling has become challenging and some facilities within the school do not meet current requirements.”

The development would allow for an additional 210 pupils at the secondary school in Twyford Road, including 60 in the sixth form.

Another 34 staff would be taken on, half of them full-time and the other half part-time. The new building would be on the western edge of the site and accommodate dining facilities and a sixth form area.

The extension of the science block would provide three new laboratories, a prep room and chemical store, staff offices and toilets.

There would also be four new netball courts, fewer than the original five proposed following concerns raised by Sports England that they would be built over existing sports pitches.

The development would also involve landscaping the grounds.

The number of parking spaces would be increased from 125 to 164.

Wargrave Parish Council did not object to the proposal but requested that parking provision for contractors during construction be considered and that there should be traffic management to minimise congestion and restrictions on working times to minimise the impact on neighbouring residents. 

As part of its decision, the borough council stated that there must be space available for parking at all times and that the turning space should not be used other than for turning.

It also said that work should only take place from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays with none on Sundays and bank holidays. 

The school did not respond to requests for comment.