Public access to Nine Acres Recreation Ground from Nelson Road will not be blocked as part of plans to demolish and rebuild a Newport primary school, a consultancy has confirmed following concerns from residents and the Isle of Wight Council.
Willmott Dixon Construction has submitted plans on behalf of the Department for Education to demolish the existing buildings at Nine Acres Community Primary School and replace them with a new 2-storey school.
The proposals previously prompted concerns from County Hall’s Public Rights of Way team over the future of a long-established access between Nelson Road and Nine Acres Recreation Ground.
The team said the route had been used by the public for “many decades” and appeared not to have been retained in the submitted plans.
It warned that closing the route would be “highly controversial” and would probably amount to an obstruction of an established highway.
Councillor Stephen Rushbrook has also raised the issue after being approached by several residents concerned about the proposals.
Councillor Rushbrook has said:
“This has been a long-standing public access point, and many residents are rightly concerned about the apparent loss of the only access point to Nine Acres from the west.”
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However, property consultancy Vail Williams has now sought to reassure planners that there is no intention to close the route.
In a subsequent letter to the Isle of Wight Council, the consultancy said the applicant has no intention of blocking the existing footpath, particularly as it is located on land outside of the applicant’s ownership.
The clarification comes as plans progress for a significant redevelopment of the school site.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the Department for Education scheme would replace the existing school buildings, which architects say are in poor condition and no longer meet current building standards or the needs of the community.
The current layout has also been said to present operational and safety concerns, including delivery vehicles having to travel through the playground.
Under the plans, the new school would maintain capacity for 420 pupils alongside 45 places at Little Acres Nursery.
Changes to access and parking arrangements, landscaping improvements and new external spaces also form part of the proposals.
Temporary accommodation would be installed on the existing playing field during construction, allowing the school to continue operating while the work takes place.
Vail Williams has previously said the temporary arrangements would not result in any permanent loss of open space or community facilities.
The proposed new school would be an all-electric building designed to achieve net zero carbon in operation, with the applicant also claiming the redevelopment would provide biodiversity improvements.
When concerns about the Nelson Road route first emerged, the Public Rights of Way team urged the planning authority not to approve the development unless the access was retained and improved for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and those using mobility scooters.
The latest clarification from Vail Williams appears to address the central concern that the route itself could disappear under the redevelopment.
The Isle of Wight Council’s public consultation on planning application 26/01066/FUL is now due to run until16th October.
A decision on the application is expected on 10th November.
