A school in Slough can build a new exam and sports hall that could also be used for the community after councillors gave it the green light.
Westgate School in Cippenham submitted plans to Slough Borough Council to build the new hall on two netball courts in August last year. It also got approval in December to demolish its old hall, which has been condemned.
Members of Slough Borough Council’s planning committee approved the proposals at a meeting on Thursday, 29 January – on the condition that the hall can also be opened up for ‘community sports’.
A council report on the plans said: “The proposals will provide opportunities to host a range of group sports, ball, racket and net games, gymnastics.”
It added that Westgate School had also been working on a proposal to host ‘a Slough-based gymnastics club that is currently scattered across several schools in Berkshire’.
Councillor Neel Rana asked about steps agreed between the council and developers to mitigate parking issues that might occur when the hall is opened up to the public.
Council officers said the school had agreed to contribute £6,000 towards improved parking restrictions in surrounding streets to stop people dropping visitors off in ‘dangerous locations if they’re in a rush.
But they said they didn’t expect there to be any overspill from the school’s car park. A council officer said: “The maximum worst case is there would be 70 vehicles on site and there are 120 parking spaces.”
