Moorlands Junior School Expansion Proposals

Results updated 8 Jun 2022

Complete Proposal

Local Authority Proposal for Prescribed Alterations (expansion) in accordance with The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013

These Regulations set out the procedure that must be followed by LAs where the physical expansion of a school is proposed.

Stage 1

Informal consultation with interested parties. Whilst Stage 1 is not prescribed, there is a strong expectation that schools and LAs will consult interested parties when developing the proposal prior to publication, as part of their duty under public law to act rationally and take into account all relevant considerations.

Stage 2

The publication of a statutory notice which begins Stage 3

Stage 3

The representation period, which must last for 4 weeks.

Stage 4

The final stage is Determination by Trafford’s Executive.

The Full Proposal

Trafford Council (The Local Authority (LA)) proposes the expansion of:

Moorlands Junior School (3582033)

Temple Road

Sale

M33 2LP

from a 2 form entry (60 pupils per cohort) to a 3 form entry (90 pupils per cohort) junior school with effect from 1 September 2023. Moorlands Junior School is a Community School.

This announcement represents Stage 2 of the statutory process that must be followed when the Local Authority proposes the physical expansion of a school.

Objectives

The Local Authority has a duty, set out in the Education Act 1996, to ensure sufficient school places for children who live within its area. Trafford has seen a significant increase in the number of children resident in the area overall and in particular in the Sale East area.

Need or demand for additional places

Trafford Council has a duty to provide school places for every child resident within the borough. This duty has been met by expanding a number of Primary Schools across the borough to meet local demand. Over the last 10 years Altrincham and Sale have experienced the greatest demand within Trafford and although population projections for the area are relatively static when considering future reception cohorts, there is a significant impact from inbound migration in upper year groups, particularly with families who move into the area to access the selective education system.

All schools must have a published admission number (PAN). The PAN is set following a net capacity assessment of the school. This assessment considers the number of workspaces and calculates the indicated admission number for the school. The PAN is then set in line with the assessment calculation to reflect the number of pupils the school can accommodate in each year group. The total PAN for each cohort in Sale East is 480 . There are currently 496 pupils on roll in Year 3 classes in Sale East rising to 502 pupils on roll in Year 6 classes in Sale East. At 15 May 2022, every school in the Sale East Planning area was at or above its capacity in Years 1,3,4,5 and 6.

This situation is repeated in the neighbouring Sale West Planning area where a very limited number of places are available in the current reception and Year 2 and where every school is at or above its capacity in Years 1,3,4,5 and 6, including an extra 30 places created in Year 6 at Woodheys Primary School to accommodate families that have moved into that planning area. Therefore, Trafford Council are now proposing the physical expansion of Moorlands Junior School to increase the admission number from 60 (2 forms of entry) to 90 (3 forms of entry) and, in order to accommodate families that have already moved into the area, temporary accommodation is provided for 30 additional children from September 2022.

Consultation

The LA first initiated informal consultation (Stage 1 of the statutory process) with the School and its governing body. The School and Governing Body joined with council officers to consider submissions from 3 contractors before appointing ISG Ltd. and their associated architects, Ellis Williams Architects. A series of meetings has been held to allow the School to participate in developing the proposal alongside Council Officers and the appointed Design and Build Contractor.

On 22 February 2022, the informal consultation process was extended to parents, staff, and residents. These stakeholders were invited to the School on 22 February to look at, and comment on, the proposed plans. The informal consultation continued online until 9 March 2022. Comments received and responses provided can be viewed on Trafford Council's Citizen Space - Moorlands Junior School

A planning application was submitted on 8^th April 2022 (application number 107614/FUL/22) and validated on 29^th April. The submission of the planning application extended the consultation process further into the community by including the usual Town and Country Planning consultation requirements. Full details, can be viewed on Trafford’s Website Moorlands Junior School Expansion Proposal

School capacity

The current Capacity of the School is 240. The current published admission number for Moorlands Junior School is 60. This allows for a maximum number of pupils on roll of 240. The anticipated number of pupils on roll at Moorlands Junior School from September 2022 is 286. This includes 30 additional pupils admitted in order to accommodate families moving into the area. It is expected that the School will reach the maximum of 360 pupils by September 2023.

Alteration description

One temporary double classroom will be required from September 2022. The temporary block is single storey and is proposed to sit on the site of the current Multi Use Games Area (MUGA), along the Broad Road elevation. Once the construction is complete the temporary double classroom will be removed.

The new permanent accommodation will consist of 4 new classrooms, a studio and a specialist space for Food Technology/Art/Design along with associated office and WCs. There will also be a small amount of remodelling work in the existing school to allow for two small SEN rooms and a hygiene room.

Externally the staff car park will be expanded with a further 8 spaces and the MUGA will be relocated.

Project costs

On 27 September 2021 Trafford’s Executive Committee agreed £4m basic need funding to take Moorlands Junior School from 2FE to 3FE.

Education Standards

In March 2014 the school was judged to be good by Ofsted Inspectors. In March 2018 Ofsted confirmed that the School continues to be good.

Extended services

The proposed expansion will not affect the provision of the School’s extended services.

Travel and Accessibility

The school have been active participants in the Living Streets Walk to School Campaign since 2017 and the children are very proud of their badges when awarded each month. School will endeavour to ensure that this continues to be a high priority and their Eco-council will focus on active travel to school as their theme for the rest of this year.

The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

The School completed a survey with the children to identify how they had travelled to school on the 2nd March. 78% of the children arrived at school on foot, bike or scooter on that day. The school will regularly monitor the situation and aim to work with Templemoor Infant School to increase this number further.

Full details of the TRANSPORT STATEMENT and INTERIM TRAVEL PLAN, submitted as part of the planning application process, can be viewed or downloaded from Trafford’s website. The findings from these will be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the increased traffic caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school.

Implementation

The proposal will be implemented from 1^st September 2023.

Objections and comments

Within four weeks from the date of the publication of these proposals (9June 2022), any person may object to or make comments on the proposal by emailing school.admissions@trafford.gov.uk or by sending them to:

School Admissions Service Manager,

Waterside House

Waterside,

Sale,

M33 7ZF

All comments must be received by 7 July 2022.

Moorlands Junior School Expansion Consultation Comments and Responses

On Tuesday 22 February 2022 stakeholders were invited to an informal consultation event at the school. They were shown proposed plans and invited to comment, the same plans were then available to view online via the Council’s Citizen Space Consultation Hub from Wednesday 23 February 2022. The informal consultation then closed on Wednesday 9 March 2022.

Summary

35 people attended the consultation event

33 people commented on the expansion

16 in favour

9 not in favour

8 not sure

Number of comments regarding various aspects of the proposals.

15 on traffic, congestion, and parking

7 on building design

4 on programme

11 on pupil numbers and education

5 on construction

5 on new facilities and benefits

3 on cycling

8 on MUGA and external areas

3 on sustainable features

All written comments received by the closing date (in black) and responses (in italics) from the education, school and design team present at the consultation follow below;

Comment 1

Looks good. Positioning of cycle parking away from the car parking to avoid crossing the car park.

This will be given consideration when the building is complete and we will look to re-site cycle parking closer to pupil entrances.

Comment 2

I support the proposals – minimum disruption to school premises and no loss of existing play spaces. Additional SEN spaces and hygiene room are positive, plus the new studio and food tech room. Solar panels and a new heating system are a welcome inclusion.

Comment 3

We were grateful to have the opportunity to review the proposals for extending the school. This stage of pre-planning consultation is vital to the successful design and delivery of a project of this importance to the local community.

The representatives of the project team were helpful and informative when describing the current proposals for this sensitive and significant site. However, the information they provided has raised a number of significant concerns. The over-riding impression is that this is a project that is being delivered to a (low) budget and a (hasty) programme.

Design

The choice of materials and the approach to the design appear to be driven by cost rather than being an appropriate response to the surrounding context. We were told at the consultation that the extension will be clad in either brick or panels. Many of the surrounding houses use brickwork and hence that material could be said to suit the local context. However, no buildings within the surrounding area, in particular along Broad Road, utilised panellised materials; they are not appropriate for this proposed building. Neither of these proposed materials (brick or panels) can be said to complement the render and glazing of the existing school building. To compound this mismatch, the fenestration proposed to the extension does not appear to make any references to the scale or rhythm of the existing building.

External materiality is still under consideration at this time and we will consider different options before progressing a final solution. Local context will be a major influence on the final proposal colour.

An alternative design strategy will be required to make the building sit comfortably within the local area. One strategy would be to extend the materials and glazing of the existing school around the proposed extension. To mitigate the risk of overheating inside the classrooms, brise soleil could be used to the new elevation (and potentially extended along the whole façade). Brise soleil would also break up the mass of a building which will be considerably larger than any building within the local area.

Another option would be for the south and west elevations of the existing building to be re-clad with materials in common to the extension. A combination of brickwork and render would be appropriate as they feature prominently on neighbouring houses.

Our aim is to design a building that performs efficiently throughout its life cycle and brise soleil can naturally have a detrimental effect on the amount of light and therefore quality of the internal classrooms inhabited by the children. Render has inherent maintenance issues which the school and Trafford Council have expressed concern with and therefore the option is being avoided at this time.

The scale of the existing school building is successfully broken up on plan by the classrooms being expressed as individual elements. This results in the building being more complementary to its neighbours, and most importantly creates a welcoming and well-scaled building for children (each classroom is individually identifiable and hence can be ‘owned’ by each class and its pupils). The proposed extension does not take a similar approach and hence the Broad Road elevation will be an unremitting, long and low façade, incongruous in its surroundings and hostile to its young inhabitants. Rather than being simply extruded as a single block, the extension should step back in a series of volumes similar to the existing building. The current monolithic form appears to be driven by cost and ease of construction, rather than the relationship of the school to the neighbouring buildings or to its pupils.

In terms of footprint the school feels the proposed extension takes up a lot less hard standing space than a stepped approach. This provides one corridor which aids full visibility and supervision. The additional internal spaces created by the step design are being planned as more useful enclosed spaces within the design.

The design team’s aim is to produce a building that delivers the school’s aspirations which not only involves efficiencies in energy usage and maintenance but also the impact on available space on site. The proposal is currently answering both those questions through its layout. However a full exploration of the elevations is part of the process and consideration will be given to the “monolithic” aspect that could result.

Programme

We are very concerned about the breakneck pace of design development, statutory constraints and construction. It does not suggest that a high-quality end product will be produced. We welcome the possibility of expanding what all local people know to be a welcoming and high-achieving school. However, the ‘good news’ message of a new local asset should not prevent rigorous scrutiny of the proposals to be undertaken.

The programme appears to be driven by the need for the extension to be open and operational for the start of school year 2023/24. Working back from this date has resulted in a start on site date of August 2022. The consequences of these dates are a hurried design and consents timescale. From the date of this consultation this gives slightly more than five months for a vital stage of the project. When a statutory planning determination of 8 – 12 weeks is taken off this the design team have around three months to take the proposals from early concepts through to construction detailing. This is not enough time and it would be appropriate for a slower timescale to be pursued (perhaps targeting an opening date for the 2024/25 school year).

The requirement for more school places results in a necessity for the new block to be opened in September 2023. Although this may be considered a short timescale there are numerous examples from both the contractor and architects where these timescales have been achieved and result in outstanding buildings. During the statutory planning determination period, there is ample time to develop the technical aspects of the building without impacting the proposal submitted to planning, therefore extending the time available to develop through to construction level detailing.

Planning and consents

We believe it is essential for various detailed documentation to accompany the application, rather than being postponed to become conditions to the approval. Transport assessments for both the completed school and the construction phase should be submitted alongside the design proposals to enable the scheme to be holistically considered. Vehicles parking with two wheels on the pavement is a common threat to child safety in the area of Moorlands and Temple Moor schools. Increasing the size of the school will inevitably result in the worsening of this situation and the resultant impacts should be explained with mitigating features identified at the time of application. The proposed site entrance during construction is directly within one of the areas of heavy traffic accumulating. Whilst deliveries and vehicle movements can be managed through a robust construction plan there will inevitably be times where the system falls down and major construction plant could be utilising this access at times of significant pupil movement.

Through the experience developed over years in the industry working on projects that face similar issues the team have produced a comprehensive list of surveys and reports which will be included as part of the planning application process. A transport assessment and report is included in this list. We have also engaged a planning consultant to provide additional input to answer as many questions as possible at planning stage. Trafford Council have a robust validation checklist that will be followed in order to achieve a validated submission prior to the planning period commencing.

All deliveries will be coordinated via an online booking system. This system will give clear timed slots for suppliers to work to, in the event that a delivery or heavy goods vehicle is delayed or runs out of sequence, this may create a clash where two vehicle are attempting to access site at the same time, in this event there will be a predetermined route set out to divert vehicles away from the residential areas and to act as a hold point until a suitable slot becomes available. This will be outside peak pick up/drop off times for students. There will be no vehicles permitted within the immediate vicinity of the site/school during the peak drop off/collection times.

In addition to this, the proposed site entrance during construction is extremely close to a pair of tall, mature trees. These trees form part of one of the defining features of Broad Road, and the loss of one or both as a result of careless construction traffic would be a significant loss to the character of the surrounding area. When considering these trees and the risks outlined above presented by a construction site entrance on Broad Road it would appear than an alternative location on Dane Road would be safer and more sensitive. Access into the north end of the playing fields would not present risks to existing trees and would be onto a wider stretch of road with better visibility splays.

Options have been considered to utilise other areas on site for both access and site compound. The current preferred option results in minimal impact on facilities available to the school during the construction period. By moving the entrance to the north of the site an extended access track would be required removing a large section of available soft play space and the loss of trees may still be a factor.

Forming a haul road and onsite vehicle turning point would cause a significant increase in the vehicle movements to and from site in the initial construction period, in addition creating significant waste in relation to hard core used to form the temporary road over such a large area. We are currently reviewing options in relation to access/egress and will balance this out with the needs of the school whilst mitigating the impact to the environment and local residents. An alternative option is to site the access point further down Broad Road to the south west corner of the site. Surveys of the site are currently being carried out which will be used to inform the decision moving forward.

Summary

We strongly support the principles of extending the school, which is a wonderful asset to the community. However, we believe that it is essential for further engagement and consideration. The architect has experience of designing good quality buildings, and they should be given the time and budget to prepare a suitable design for the school. We would ask that further engagement with the pupils of the school, their parents and local residents is undertaken to ensure that a high-quality project is designed and delivered. If the current programme is ‘set in stone’ this further engagement should be arranged as a matter of urgency. Moorlands School has an active Friends PTA, passionate teachers and pupils who are excited at the prospect of improvements to their school. Further, workshop-based consultation sessions (involving all these groups) should be held in March to ensure that this project meets its full potential.

There will be an opportunity to formally comment on the proposals when they are submitted for planning approval. The school’s senior leadership team are involved in the client engagement sessions and further workshops with the wider school community will be held as and when necessary.

Comment 4

I write regarding proposals for extending moorlands junior school to accommodate a 3 class entry, with a suggestion based on my own primary experience.

I grew up in the south, just outside London, pre the Introduction of the 'primary model' of schooling therefore I attended a first and middle school, while on the same physical site, the schools were treated as two separate schools, two head teachers, and buildings connected by a corridor which incorporated the kitchens.

The suggestion I make, comes from the site that I was on in my middle school (junior) which had a main building, where all of the school years were situated, apart from the final year group, who had their own purpose-built unit to house 3 classes along with other areas such as an art room, relaxed library area, various offices for teachers etc.

I feel that this model for the final year at moorlands would be an excellent addition to the school, allowing the oldest children to have their own space, as they transition towards secondary education.

I would very much appreciate if this suggestion could be taken into consideration during the planning stages for the schools upgrade.

The school unfortunately don't have the space or resources to accommodate a separate library/art area exclusively for year 6 and to replicate the same facilities for the rest of the school. Similarly they wouldn't want to have a fantastic art/DT area that the rest of the school couldn’t use. This is also not in keeping with the school’s inclusive approach.

The school have a well-established monitor system for year 6 children which gives them extra responsibility and involve other year groups (for example, delivering fire logs to all classes, collecting lunch boxes) this would be made more difficult if Year 6 were in separate buildings and supervision between the two blocks would be difficult.

Given that Templemoor and Moorlands are already separate infant and junior schools, the children already have to transition between Key Stage 1 & 2. So a year 'alone' for Year 6 wouldn't be beneficial.

Transition to secondary school is an important step and children are supported. The school have close links with the link secondary schools and a robust programme to support the children.

Lunches, PE and assemblies would also be more difficult if year 6 were in a separate block as the inclement weather would mean coats might be necessary each time classes moved around.

Comment 5

I am grateful for the invitation to the open event which I attended at the school on Tuesday 22nd February, I am writing about concerns I have as a resident living directly opposite regarding access and parking. At current capacity (2/3 of that proposed), it is sometimes impossible to gain access to my house by car at pick-up times due to the volume of cars parked on pavements, at junctions and occasionally, across my drive; not to mention the safety hazard this causes for everyone in the vicinity and the poor air quality that my family and pupils have to suffer from cars parked with their engines running. The letter I received inviting me to attend the event at the school mentioned public transport as an option but no information was available when I asked as to how many pupils currently used this mode and I suspect it is very few. Unfortunately, it is also unlikely to increase in the future without significant improvements to services and changes in travel behaviour. Therefore, any expansion plans should include:

Sufficient on-site parking for all staff to maximise on-street parking capacity for collection times. This would be significantly more than the 8 additional places currently proposed.
An alternative pedestrian access from Dane Road to spread the current and increased pressure that will fall on Broad Road and Temple Road.
Strict traffic management measures for the roads around the school (especially Broad Road and Temple Road) at pick-up time with sufficient resources allocated to enforce these.

Part of the application process includes a traffic report and traffic plan. The findings from this will both be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

In response to comments received, school completed a survey with the children to identify how they had travelled to school on the 2^nd March. 78% of the children arrived at school on foot, bike or scooter on that day. The school will regularly monitor the situation and aim to work with Templemoor Infant School to increase this number further.

Without these measures I find the current proposals unacceptable and I hope there is time to resolve this issue before the expansion plans start in September when there is bound to be a significant amount of additional disruption caused by construction work.

In terms of the design of the extension building, I am pleased to see that it is single storey and would hope that the design of the facade facing Broad Road complements the existing blocks and is constructed with quality materials. I am also very pleased to see the proposed retention of the relocated MUGA and bandstand as it is great to see so many children enjoying these facilities so much on a daily basis.

Should all of the above comments be addressed, I would be happy to support the expansion of what I know to be an excellent local school and would be glad to see other children benefit from the same first-rate education and care that my three children received there.

Comment 6

I am well aware of the concerns of some residents about the expansion of Moorlands School with regard to the additional traffic and footfall movement this will create. I do think that this needs to be taken into consideration by our Highway’s Officers as part of the planning process.

That said there is much the school can themselves do to encourage pupils and parents to walk to the school and this needs to be impressed upon the School Leadership Team.

The school should already have a travel plan for pupils in place and I would recommend that the school becomes part of the Living Streets Walk to School challenge if they are not already taking part in the scheme. This scheme has been used extensively at Springfield Primary School where I am Chair of the Governing Body and since November last year we have been able to reduce the number of children arriving at school by car to just 6%. In addition the school have used their Year 5 children with Teacher Support as Junior Traffic Wardens, handing out leaflet reminders to parents and carers about the need to park with consideration for other road users, local residents and for pupil safety. There is nothing quite like using the children to shame their parents and carers.

I trust the above information is helpful to you. Rest assured I and my Sale Moor Councillor Colleagues are fully aware of the need for additional primary places across the Borough. We are supportive of the expansion plans and trust that the concerns expressed by local residents will be taken into account.

They also regularly remind parents about parking and have contacted the Road Safety Team at the Council regarding parking enforcement. The Road Safety Team have visited school at different times of the day/week to enforce good practice.

Part of the application process includes a traffic report and traffic plan. The findings from this will both be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. The school will be required to update their Travel Plan and they are also being considered for a ‘school street’, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

Comment 7

Add a vehicle drop off point via Dane Road where children can be dropped off in vehicles safely away from the pedestrian pupil entrance and walk across the field/purpose built footpath to school. Already Congestion on temple road and broad road dangerous junctions. Previous fatality on this road hence why we have speed bumps. Increase in children and SEN children could cause further issues.

We will explore the option of adding a pedestrian entrance off Dane road to further spread the drop off traffic across the site. However work to create a vehicle drop off point would be carried out by the highways department and unfortunately falls outside the scope of works for the proposed extension to Moorlands Junior School.

Comment 8

I think the expansion will improve the facilities that the school has to offer the children

Comment 9

As the school expands the traffic will increase considerably at pick up and drop off - I have real concerns about the safety for the children when there is increased traffic as currently it seems chaotic with cars parking over pavement areas. I would like to see proposals as to how this will be addressed and restrict excessive traffic to the school for the safety of the children and the local residents.

Comment 10

An exciting plan that will bring lots of additional benefits to the school. I look forward to seeing the plans come to fruition.

Comment 11

My children have had a very disrupted first 3 years of education and I’m concerned how much this will affect their education.

We understand that education for all children has been disrupted during the pandemic. However ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites and will work hard to minimise disruption by programming internal works during the school holidays. In addition it will relieve overlarge classes currently at Moorlands which will relieve pressure on teachers and improve the learning experience for pupils.

Comment 12

I am concerned about the volume of traffic and issue of parking. It’s already almost impossible to walk down Temple Rd and Broad Road at the beginning and end of the school day. Cars park on the pavement meaning you have to walk on the busy roads. If another 120 families are added to this how and where are they going to park? I think someone needs to come and monitor the current situation to see how dangerous it.

Part of the application process includes a traffic assessment. The findings from this will be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

Comment 13

It would be great to expand the school to give access to education for more children in this great school. However, I hope not too much of the beautiful field is covered due to this. Thank you and best wishes with the expansion work!

Comment 14

I have major concerns regarding the addition of additional traffic onto an already busy area. Temple Road is already at capacity at drop off and pick up times and it’s my understanding that many of the new starters will be coming from out of catchment and as such will probably need to be driven to school. There have been several occasions when I’ve witnessed near misses as cars mount and dismount the pavement to park when children are walking to school and there are also instances where Temple Road becomes completely gridlocked due to cars parked on both sides.

I also understand that existing classes are likely to be mixed up to allow for the inclusion of the new starters. I understand the reasons behind this, but it seems unfair that changes are made within classes which already work well, potentially disrupting the children already at Moorlands. I would ask that careful consideration is given to existing pupils and that there needs are given priority.

School will endeavour to ensure that consideration is given to the welfare of all of pupils, both new and existing. The benefits to all children may include smaller class sizes initially.

Comment 15

Whilst I appreciate the expansion is required to accommodate children in the area, the fact our children have been disrupted, had restrictions placed upon them and have missed valuable education throughout the last 2 years, this planned extension with yet more disruption and restrictions will only impact them and disadvantage them and their learning further. I feel this should deferred for a couple of years to allow them the time needed to settle once again. Please note, I will still have a child in the school until July 2028.

Delaying the works would make it very difficult for the Council to provide a junior school place in the Sale area and lead to overlarge classes which again impacts on a pupil’s education.

Comment 16

Concerned about increase in traffic.

Concerned that children will lose MUGA for a whole year. They have already sacrificed so much in their time at Moorlands due to Covid. I would propose the new MUGA is built first to be used while other work ongoing.

We will investigate the possibility of implementing the MUGA at an earlier point in the project. However it should be noted that the MUGA restricts the amount of play space available to the children during this time as the number of users is limited. It may be that an equivalent playground space can be provided prior to the start of the construction works. However, the MUGA will definitely be re-instated once work has been completed if not at an earlier stage.

Also concerned if new temporary buildings are for new intake of yr 5 and 6, where will the year 3’s go so as not to be disrupted by building work because they are closest?

ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites, often in very close proximity to occupied classrooms and will work hard to minimise disruption by programming internal works during the school holidays.

Comment 17

Disruption to the children who are attending Moorlands.

There are enough school places in Trafford for all the children in these areas.

The expansion of Moorlands Junior School is being proposed because there are no school places for junior aged children in the Sale area and many schools have taken extra children increasing class sizes above 30. This cannot be sustained, therefore 4 extra classes will relieve the pressure for places in the Sale area.

ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites and will work hard to minimise disruption by programming internal works during the school holidays.

Comment 18

I would prefer the school to remain a 2 class intake, for numerous reasons. Disruption to education of current children in school, management issues larger numbers of pupils would cause. Meaning our children do not get the required level of attention needed at this critical stage in their primary education and I feel the timing isn’t great as Covid has just caused a huge disruption and we are still not back to business as usual as a result.

However if expansion is needed and those needs can’t be met anywhere else in the area, again not convinced this has been fully explored, and there is no way around that then I feel this plan is short-sighted as the current school infrastructure needs updating, so bolting onto the side of this is not a sustainable or efficient solution. I feel strongly that there are better solutions that looks at the longevity of the project without the need for loss of land. The school could be rebuilt as a two story school and double it’s footprint and offer lots of extra space in classrooms and with extra indoor PE space etc. It could even merge with the infant school and become a primary school and use the infant school site as a state of the art sports facility and offer further parking for staff. I think there are many solutions that would solve the issue of expansion much more satisfactorily and with many more benefits for the school community then the current proposal.

There are a number of options for this site as you describe but these have to be weighed up against disruption, parental preference, budget, timescales and sustainability. This solution presents the most affordable, sustainable, least disruptive and deliverable option.

Other concerns with current proposal include:

Temporary classrooms will be another disruption and possible detriment to learning for some as environment can be key to learning.

Temporary classrooms provide a fit for purpose learning environment and are a necessary solution for early delivery.

The extra traffic generated by the expansion of numbers that will ultimately have to travel from a wider area. I live on Temple Rd and the traffic is already at maximum capacity currently and parents don’t always park considerately. I have seen no evidence that the extra traffic generated has been taken into account and what the plans will be to minimise this.

Part of the application process includes a traffic report and traffic plan. The findings from this will both be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. The number of car parking spaces is set out by the department for education and Highways England. The extension to the school falls in line with these guidelines. The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

The disruption to the play areas will mean that children will be without the MUGA for a whole year which is a highlight of school time for some. This seems wholly unacceptable and feel the pitch should be re-sited as a matter of priority, especially as the hard surface area will also be reduced significantly by the temporary classrooms.

Concern about mixed aged classes and mixing established classes, to ensure integration again isn’t ideal and will be disruptive to an environment that is just starting to feel settled again. All of which will cause anxiety and stress for the children.

School will endeavour to ensure that consideration is given to the welfare of all of pupils, both new and existing. The benefits to all children may include smaller class sizes initially.

My questions include: how much more traffic will be generated as a result? This will be investigated as part of the planning application process and will be considered as part of the next design stages.

Can we re prioritise the children’s play areas in the build? Options will be considered as to provide the best external play space for the school during the construction period.

Will the catchment area be widened? There are no plans to widen the catchment area.

Will the expanded numbers be used as a transient arrangement for some children who will be placed elsewhere? Parents ultimately choose where to educate their children. There is little movement at Moorlands Junior School.

Why haven’t other building solutions where no land is lost been considered? Other options were considered as part of the bid and initial design stages. The existing school would need considerable work to allow an additional storey which would mean the project is not viable.

What about the upgrade and repair needed to the existing buildings, what are the plans for this? Trafford Council is the responsible body for Moorlands Junior School and carry out major capital works when necessary, all schools under the Council’s remit are reviewed annually and prioritised for major upgrades. Small repairs and maintenance is carried out by the school using their delegated budget.

Moorlands underwent a major refurbishment in 2012, when its roof, external walls, windows and doors were replaced, and internally a full rewire, new ceilings, improved ventilation. In addition the annex, which was beyond repair, was replaced with two permanent classrooms.

The current age and condition of the existing infrastructure has this been considered? The Council carry out Condition surveys every 3-4 years where the age and condition of building fabric, mechanical and electrical infrastructure is assessed. This then feeds into a programme of capital maintenance works where projects are prioritised according to the urgency and budget available.

Lots of other schools in the Trafford area that have undergone expansion, Springfield and Worthington, have received brand new buildings not bolt on extensions, why is it different for Moorlands?

A number of options are considered when proposing an extension, including the condition of the existing building. Where it is beyond its life expectancy, a new build option is considered, this is not the case with Moorlands Junior School. The proposed solution presents the most affordable, sustainable, least disruptive and deliverable option.

Do we know what classes will be using the temporary classroom? No decisions have been made with regard to this at this point in time.

Will classes be integrated and mixed once expansion complete? Once the number and ages of new pupils is known the senior leadership team will decide how classes are organised.

How does the council and school plan to minimise disruption to school activities during the build? ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites and will work hard to minimise disruption by liaising closely with the school to work around school events and programming disruptive works during the school holidays where possible.

Comment 19

The parking situation on broad road and surrounding roads at the beginning and end of the school day already present a risk to the safety of pedestrians and those traveling by vehicle. A 50% increase in vehicles dropping off and picking up pupils will worsen this situation. I don’t believe any other type of service or facility would be approved without off street parking and I cannot see why education facilities should be treated differently.

Part of the application process includes a traffic assessment. The findings from this will be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. The number of new car parking spaces on the school site is set out by the Planning Department. The extension to the school falls in line with these guidelines. The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

Comment 20

I am concerned that the hardstanding play area will be smaller while the construction work takes place, and also that the MUGA (all weather pitch) will be out of use for some time while it is re-sited. I would like to see more hardstanding play area provided or alternatively some paths in the grass area to make it more usable for wet weather play. The school has a great deal of outdoor space compared to most, but makes insufficient use of it as far as I can tell.

Some of the outdoor space the school possesses is Protected Open Space and therefore has numerous restrictions on its uses. The school have a number of plans to develop its open space and the construction team have offered some landscaping works to the habitat area to make it more useable.

The additional 120 pupils will mean more car journeys to the school. There is already widespread congestion, attendant poor air quality and pavement parking inconveniencing those who walk to school. Will anything be done as part of this work to mitigate this increase in pollution and congestion?

Perhaps cycle/scooter parking nearer to the school entrances might encourage more children to cycle or scoot? The parking is currently at the back of the school, some distance from most classrooms. Compared to Templemoor it seems far fewer children travel by bicycle or scooter.

Secure cycle and scooter parking will be included as part of the final landscape plan at strategic locations to promote active travel to and from school.

There seems to be no provision to expand the hall to accommodate any extra children, although I note that another communal space is being provided. Has thought been given to providing a space where more of the school can gather together?

The capacity of the school hall is sufficient according to the Department for Education guidance. The additional studio space is intended to supplement the school facilities by providing another indoor space which will allow additional classes of PE, music, dance or drama to be taught.

Comment 21

The site lends itself to expansion given the large playing fields. I have no specific comments on the plans or the proposed planning application. However without joined up thinking in terms of the expansion of Templemoor I think it is difficult to support the proposals.

The design itself is well thought through if only the expansion of Templemoor was being considered. However I would be more in favour of the two schools being combined and expanded accordingly.

I also think the timing in terms of student welfare is not ideal. The children in year 3 have had two years of disrupted school. The emotional toll of being home schooled for 7 months in year 1 and 2 is still felt. As a parent, the educational impacts of the last two years of disruption are harder to measure as I am not a teaching expert. However I cannot help worry about the potential for classes to be mixed up in year 5/6. After an already heavily disrupted school journey so far, it is not ideal.

Templemoor Infant School is also proposed to be expanded to 3FE for September 2023 in line with Moorlands Junior School. The temporary classrooms required for September 2022 have required this project to move at a faster pace.

We understand that education for all children has been disrupted during the pandemic. However, ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites and will work hard to minimise disruption by liaising closely with the school to work around school events and programming disruptive works during the school holidays where possible.

School will endeavour to ensure that consideration is given to the welfare of all of pupils, both new and existing. The benefits to all children may include much small class sizes initially.

Comment 22

We note your proposals to increase from 2FE to 3FE which equates to a 50% increase. We have been involved with our children and grandchildren attending both Templemoor and Moorlands over the last 40 years.

Templemoor Infants has always provided the main feed to Moorlands and as Templemoor is not being expanded I can only assume that the increase is from elsewhere? Perhaps you can answer this? If this is the case how will these extra pupils be transported to and from the school bus/car??. This would be our main objection so please look towards mitigation as currently it is pretty congested from a fairly local set!

Part of the application process includes a traffic assessment. The findings from this will be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. . The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

As regards the development, our concern is during construction. As an ex Considerate Constructors Inspector I would expect this scheme to be registered under their banner and accordingly all neighbours would be consulted about for example noise / dust, organised site deliveries outside core school start and finish times and not parking site personnel cars/ vans on adjoining streets. Perhaps you can answer this?

ISG is honoured to be one of the Founder Partners of the Considerate Constructors Scheme and as such it is a company policy that all projects delivered by ISG are registered with the scheme. We retain our enthusiasm for, and commitment to, all that the Scheme seeks to achieve in the industry. This enthusiasm and commitment is seen in the recognition which the annual National Award Scheme has provided for the hard work and commitment of ISG project teams over many years.

Comment 23

I fully understand the rationale for the school expansion. I am sad that the old existing building is not being replaced. It is not fit for purpose and was too old 10 years ago when my children attended and it is an eye sore. That said in principle I am not opposed to the expansion. I do not understand how the expansion will align with the current feeder school Templemoor Infants and Nursery which is as far as I am aware not expanding. Does this mean a greater number of admissions from out of catchment? If so this relates directly to my main concerns of road safety and nuisance parking.

The current car park does not house all existing staff, some choosing to park outside my property and along the street, even when there are spaces in the car park. Part time staff and visitors don't want to be caught in the car park and so they also use Temple Road as their parking. On the whole they do park considerately, it is simply the volume that bothers me. The whole of the area along the school front is filled with staff parking as it currently stands. When the school is extended by 4 classrooms and a further intake for each year group we can expect the staff numbers to increase by at least 8. Extending the car park on the plans by 8 spaces will only just meet current over parking demand, and will not be sufficient for this future staff demand.

In addition, as the whole street is taken up with parked staff vehicles, at peak times, this leaves nowhere for parents to drop off and nowhere safe for delivery vehicles to pull in. I have lost count of the number of times I have tried to back out of my drive only for a parent to pull in and stop across my drive, then insist they will only be a minute as they leave the vehicle with their child to escort them across the road. On multiple occasions, I have moved people along so I can exit my drive, only for someone else to pull in in their place by the time I have returned to my car.

It also makes it very difficult when I have any deliveries or work done on my own property as they are unable to park outside my house, or even on the street. At the moment we have a house being built at 91 Temple Road, work being carried out at 89 Temple Road and due to the bad weather, everyone driving their children to school. There has been no place for parents to pull in or park safely so they have been using my driveway to park across. It has got to the point where I am unable to leave my house in my car between 8.30 and 9am and at pick up time.

Part of the application process includes a traffic assessment. The findings from this will be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. Staff will be encouraged to use the car park where possible to relieve the pressure on Temple Road.

How will the staff car park provide adequate parking provision for ALL staff and visitors to school? 8 spaces is not sufficient.

The number of new spaces being provided is greater than the number of new staff that will be employed. The school will also ensure staff park efficiently to take as many staff cars off the roads as possible.

How will the school ensure that ALL Staff and visitors USE the car parking provided by the school? School will encourage staff and visitors to use the car park during school hours.

What will be the provision for parents driving their cars to drop the children off safely WITHOUT being a nuisance and blocking my drive?

School regularly remind parents about parking considerately and have contacted the Road Safety Team at the Council regarding parking enforcement. The Road Safety Team have visited school at different times of the day/week to enforce good practice and this is to continue along with other car reducing initiatives.

How will school deliveries be made without blocking my access? Deliveries for the construction work will use a dedicated entrance to be introduced on Broad Road.

Comment 24

My son currently attends Moorlands junior school.

The new plans look great.

I work for Hilti In the construction building envelope division.

If Hilti can provide quotations to the construction company, please get in touch.

Comment 25

We were recently able to view the plans for the expansion at Moorland Junior School at the consultation held at the school. It was great to be able to talk the designs through with the team that were at the consultation event.

We are really happy to hear of the school being given the opportunity to expand and offer their wonderful educational and pastoral care to more students. It was great to see that the new building will provide the school with some fantastic new facilities. However we do have a few concerns which we would like to highlight;

- the programme for the project seems very rapid. We have a little experience of project management and capital projects and are concerned that delivering a building of quality that appropriately serves its users is unlikely to happen with a such a quick turn around.

The programme is suitable for a project of this size to be delivered in accordance with strict quality guidelines set out by the department for education. The design process is an ongoing incremental process which allows ample time for the building to be designed and considered appropriately. The construction methods being considered allow for high quality building to be delivered in the timescale.

- in addition the design and materials specified are cheap and not appropriate for such an important community asset.

The materials have not been fixed and therefore could not be discussed with conviction at the consultation event. Materiality is part of an ongoing discussion considering the feedback from the consultation event and conversation with the planning department.

- it is brilliant that the designs include solar panels and a heat source pump but given the increasingly urgent need for carbon neutrality in the near future not extending this to the current school building is a massive missed opportunity.

The Council is in the cycle of securing funding to gradually decarbonise the school estate. Each building will need a Heat Decarbonisation Plan in order to holistically reduce energy consumption before replacing the carbon heat source. This will be included in a separate programme of works in the future. Options are being considered to maximise the effectiveness of the systems being installed in the new extension to positively affect the existing building where possible.

- the design for the building itself appears to be just a large box stuck to the side of the current building and doesn’t respond to the current school design or the surrounding architecture. We think it will look unremitting and oppressive to the students, local residents and passers-by and will not add to the local environment. Perhaps a 'stepping back' approach to mirror the 'stepping forward' footprint of the current building would be less oppressive and more appropriate to the current architecture.

Our aim is to produce a building that delivers the school aspirations which not only involves efficiencies in energy usage but also the impact on available space on site. The proposal is currently answering both those questions through its layout. However a full exploration of the elevations is part of the process and consideration will be given to the “monolithic” aspect that could result.

- the logistics of the install is of acute concern to us. It has the site entrance on Broad Road where currently school children walk, scoot and bike to school, parents drop off in cars etc. It is very congested at school pick up and drop off times. We have already had a very frightening near miss with our daughter when a car zoomed up on to the pavement to park, barely missing knocking her down. We have highlighted the dangers to both Templemoor and Moorlands schools and the local police but unfortunately not seen any improvements. Site deliveries etc will only increase this problem. The safety of our children should be of paramount importance. We think therefore it is crucial that the site entrance is moved to Dane Road. After the new building opens two entrances would also be required. With potentially an additional 120 children arriving to school along Broad Road the area will become even more dangerous than it already is - perhaps upper school could arrive to Dane Road and Lower School via Broad Road or visa versa.

Part of the application process includes a traffic report and traffic plan. The findings from this will both be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. Options are being considered for additional pedestrian entrances to the site in order to spread the traffic hopefully reducing its impact on individual areas.

Site and construction traffic is carefully managed by ISG to minimise the disruption caused. Measures will include no deliveries to site during drop off and pick up times, Banksman to manage any site traffic and a delivery plan to ensure traffic is not waiting near to site before they are allowed to enter and deliver materials. The additional 120 pupils will not be on site during the construction period and are due to inhabit the building once handover has been completed.

- we look forward to further detail on how disruption to the Children's learning will be handled. Obviously these children have been at the receiving end of a very disrupted learning experience over the last two years. It is essential that learning is not impacted negatively by the noise and disruption of the building project.

We look forward to design responses and further detail to answer the above points along with further consultation, in the fervent hope that the consultation process is of substance and not a tick box exercise.

Comment 26

Thank you for inviting comments.

I appreciate the desire to expand the school. However, I do not feel the proposal has addressed the existing under-provision for the current site of the school, which will be significantly exacerbated by the proposed 50% increase in pupil numbers. I would therefore request you to consider the following:

1) Staff parking must be expanded by more than the proposed 8 spaces. We infer that there is already insufficient parking because we regularly observe staff members parking their cars on Temple Road during the daytime instead of on site. There should be a commitment that staff must always be required to park on the school site, to reduce pressure on the surrounding roads.

2) Road safety issues are already significant and will be accentuated by increased pupil numbers and accompanying traffic. There are no speed bumps on Temple Road presenting significant risk to life for school children and residents. These must be added before the school capacity increases.

3) A further requirement to deal with road safety issues is to extend the yellow lines preventing parking to the right side of the Temple Road entrance. These must be extended to the left side, by at least 30 metres. This is necessary because staff and parents currently park unsafely presenting safe egress from houses along Temple Road.

4) The proposal makes no provision at all for the question of how parents will drop off their children and pick them up. There is already serious congestion on surrounding roads at drop off time in particular. The proposal should address how this will be dealt with. With a 50% increase in pupil numbers proposed, this is a significant oversight and the plans cannot be allowed to proceed without this being addressed.

5) Presumably school expansion create increased demand for water use, which is already pressured in the immediate local area. Has United Utilities confirmed the impact of the expansion on water pressure in nearby homes, which is already below statutory minimum?

The proposals for the school will use low water use fixtures and fittings to minimise the additional impact the extension will have on the water usage in the area. The aim is to minimise the impact this may have on the surroundings areas and during the consultation period of the planning application conversations will take place with United Utilities to ensure the effectiveness of the proposals on site. In addition to this the school currently have a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) which minimises the impact of water run off on the sewer network. This system will be extended as part of the new proposal.

6) The proposals do not comment on the construction work itself. It is important that the school confirms that (a) Works will only take place Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm; (b) Contractors will always park on the school site, not on any surrounding roads; (c) Security arrangements will be made for the construction site (the school already has security issues); (d) Residents will always be consulted in advance on any potential disruptions.

I will be pleased to hear your responses to each of the above points at your soonest convenience.

Site working will only be carried out between the time permitted under the planning conditions assumed to be 8am and 5:30pm.

Parking around the site is constricted and although onsite parking is preferred there maybe times where the available provision may exceed the number of vehicles on site. In this instance we will endeavour to mitigate any disruption caused and introduce incentives to encourage car sharing, cycle to work and use of public transport.

Security – The site will be full secured via a hoarding erected to its perimeter with day-to-day access to the site controlled via a biometric turnstile and manned vehicle gates. Out of hours the site will be remotely monitored via a CCTV system with response personnel as and when required.

Consultation – There will be regular letter drops/newsletters distributed to keep residents aware of site activities and potentially disruptive works. The Project will run an open-door policy to deal with any queries or issues raised by the public, in addition the project will be registered with the considerate contractors scheme which gives additional focus on working with the school and local residents.

Comment 27

Thank you for the invitation of 9^th February for a) informative b) welcoming visit on 22^nd February. We understand the need for extra provision but concern is about parking and traffic, particularly between 8:30-9:10am and 2:30 to 3:30pm. Temple Road, as you will have seen, is already used as a rat run between Sale Moor and Dane Road.

Living as we do on Temple Road, just a few yards from the entrance to Moorlands, leaving our house has become a nightmare in the above hours.

We trust these issues will be addressed. Simply putting an entrance on Broad Road is not the solution.

In any event, please confirm receipt, one suggestion is sleeping policeman on both halves of Temple Road.

Part of the application process includes a traffic report and traffic plan. The findings from this will both be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. Proposals will be considered to minimise the additional disruption that may be caused by the extra capacity at the school.

With regards to your suggestion of sleeping policemen, this is a matter for the Highways Team and is outside the remit of this project.

Comment 28

I would prefer the temporary classrooms to be located at option 1 rather than option 2 so that the children do not lose playground space / access to the treehouse during the autumn/winter terms as I understand the new playground space and MUGA will not be completed until the end of the project.

Unfortunately option 01 will not be considered by the planning departments as a result of the need to minimise development on protected open space and protected school playing fields.

The additional hard play area will remove some of the green outdoor space previously available to children – could additional trees /planting be made to compensate? Or perhaps develop the habitat area into a wild area children can play in?

Could there be provision for an all year round outdoor learning space – maybe using trees or waterproof canopy to provide shelter? This could include a growing plot for children to learn about where food comes from and plants etc. Could the walls of the new extension be plant walls?

The green space available to the children at Moorlands Junior School is far above the recommended guidelines set out by the Department for Education. The design phase considers the external areas but also places a value on hard play area which provides a year round solution where soft play may not. However part of the proposal is to include additional planting to develop facilities available to school namely the habitat area and “bandstand” outdoor classroom area.

Living walls will be discussed with the school as there is a maintenance requirement and it needs to work with the structure of the new building.

Comment 29

I can’t see any benefit for the children with regards to better facilities, increased space, additional teaching eg languages etc

The addition of a studio space will allow the school to accommodate more indoor PE sessions to mitigate for those outdoor sessions lost due to the inclement Manchester weather. It will also provide a fantastic resource for music, dance and drama. The current hall timetable is full and also has to make accommodation for lunch time, this additional space will provide much more flexibility.

The addition of a dedicated specialist teaching area for food tech, design technology and art will allow the school to provide the children with more opportunities to immerse themselves in these sessions and be able to complete them in a dedicated space as a whole class rather than small groups; It will also give the school the opportunity to look at large scale art and construction projects which do not need to be packed away at the end of each session due to space constraints in the classroom. The addition of 3 small support spaces will enable the school to create more break out spaces and provide a dedicated space for Mental Health and Wellbeing provision which they currently offer in the form of counselling and Emotional Literacy support for all of the pupils. The Hygiene room will extend the accessible WC facilities for visitors, staff and pupils and allow staff who are cycling, a shower facility.

The play space for the children would be reduced

When the project is completed the MUGA and gazebo will be re-sited and additional hard standing play area will be created to enhance the current facilities. The outdoor learning area will also be developed as an additional resource.

How would the school on its existing site cater for another 30 children with the playground and play areas reduced, communal areas etc.

The school site is more than sufficient to cater for a 3 form entry junior school, the playground is being extended along with the building extension. The school will manage the year groups so that play areas are fully utilised.

Where would the additional intake come from?

The additional intake will come from residents in the Sale area where there are currently no places in the Junior age groups and many existing classes are taking over 30 pupils.

The school is currently a good Ofsted rating, with a number of other schools in the areas being rated outstanding, what measures would be put in place to ensure the change in teaching staff, additional children and managing the changes that would come with the expansion wouldn’t reduce the standard of teaching and education provided?

The recruitment of new staff will be in line with the school’s current policy to recruit the very best candidates who embrace their values. More staff members will bring a more diverse background knowledge and skill set which will only enhance the children's learning. Robust on boarding procedures will take place so that all staff are aware of Moorland's values and procedures. The school prides itself on being an inclusive, friendly and supportive staff team and this will continue as new staff join their ranks.

Comment 30

I understand the need for expansion in Trafford, and that Moorlands has such a large amount of land so therefore it makes sense it is chosen for such a project.

However, I would like for the Council to consider postponing development for a further year whilst the plans are properly reviewed.

My concerns are purely for my children, who (along with many other children) have had a disrupted education for the past two years due to Covid. We were not key workers so both of my children were full time home schooled and my youngest, who is currently in Y2, has yet to actually complete a full year of education in School.

In a time where everyone is so concerned about children's education and mental health etc. I would appreciate a further year of stability in their young lives, where they just simply go to School and enjoy their time there without disruption and noise in their surroundings and limited access to the current outdoor facilities Moorlands has in place. Thank you.

We understand that education for all children has been disrupted during the pandemic. However, it is not possible to delay works as places are needed as soon as possible.

ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites and will work hard to minimise disruption by liaising closely with the school to work around school events and programming disruptive works during the school holidays where possible.

This project will include the addition of 3 small support spaces allowing the school to create a dedicated space for Mental Health and Wellbeing provision which they currently offer in the form of counselling and Emotional Literacy support for all of the pupils.

Comment 31

I appreciate being able to see the plans for development and understand the need for more classroom space.

The concern we have is that during the year of construction there will be no access to the outside MUGA area and this will be detrimental to the children's wellbeing. Can the MUGA not be rebuilt beforehand so that children can still get the benefit of it whilst the main building work is going on?

The children won't get as much physical exercise as they would with the MUGA available to use. It is used for PE both before, during and after school. It is better from a health and safety aspect.

Comment 32

My main questions are around disruption to school life for children currently at the school.

The MUGA is proposed to move position. Is there any plan to ensure this happens first so the children can continue use during the year of building? The children have all had a very disrupted few years of schooling, and not being able to use the MUGA for sports and playtime would be a continued (and unnecessary) unfair loss of facility.

The children are not allowed on the grass unless it is dry, so losing the MUGA even for a year would be a real loss to the children's sporting practice, but also recreational and play.

I'd like the see the timelines for the plans as well.

In terms of timescales, the following high level timeline is proposed at the moment and is of course subject to planning approval;

Proposed Timeline

Invitation to view plans 22^nd February 2022

Proposed planning application submission March 2022

Installation of temporary double classroom August 2022

Start of construction (subject to planning approval) Autumn 2022

New building planned to open September 2023

More detailed programmes will be produced as the works are finalised.

Comment 32

Following the exhibition at Moorlands Junior School on the 22^nd February setting out the plans for its proposed expansion, I am writing to provide my feedback. I write both as a parent (of a child currently at the school and one who will start next September, as well as another who has recently moved up from Year 6) and as a neighbour. I have several concerns about the proposals, which I set out below.

Programme

My first and biggest concern is that the process seems too rushed to be credible. Architects’ plans are not yet finalised and consultation is only just taking place, yet it is proposed to start on site in less than six months’ time. This is not nearly enough time to work through feedback, work up revised plans and go through the planning application process. This is not a small development; it is equivalent in size to adding a new school to the existing school – among other things, it will ultimately be generating an additional 240 trips a day, without taking into account staff (that is, 120 children arriving in the morning, along with parents, and 120 children departing in the evening) and so there will be a need for a Transport Assessment. I don’t know how far through the procurement process Trafford is, but this too would be expected to be lengthy. My concern is that with the number of things to be done before building work starts, there is simply not time to work up a good quality scheme. What is developed here will ultimately be with us for generations, and it is incumbent on Trafford, and on the Moorlands community, to get this right. Further scheme development and further consultations are required before a viable scheme can be put forward to the planning stage. I suggest therefore that we should not be attempting to put such a tight deadline to starting the project, and that by allowing more time we will end up with a significantly better outcome for current and future generations of families in Sale.

The extra school places are required for September 2023. The Council normally allow 2 years from Executive approval to the places becoming available. Therefore procurement of a design and build contractor is the first step followed by a collaborative design process with the school after which an informal consultation is held. Although this may be considered a short timescale there are numerous examples from both the contractor and architects where these timescales have been achieved and result in outstanding buildings. All the necessary surveys are being undertaken to accompany the planning application including a Transport Assessment. During the statutory planning determination period, there is ample time to develop the technical aspects of the building without impacting the proposal submitted to planning, therefore extending the time available to develop through to construction level detailing. The planning application period will give stakeholders another opportunity to comment on the proposed design.

Concerns about the design

The grounds of Moorlands currently create an area of greenery and open views, and contribute positively to the local environment. I know no-one can own a view, but if open views are to be replaced by buildings, it is incumbent on the developer to bring about something which fits in with the local environment. In its present design, the form and appearance of the extension of the building, with the proposed panelled cladding, does not appear to be consistent with either the existing school, nor with the vernacular of houses on Broad Road. Similarly, while the existing ‘stepped’ design of Moorlands offers a frontage which is broken down into human-scale components, making what is quite a large and potentially overwhelming primary school manageable and legible for the children who will use it (and who assemble daily outside it), the extension offers a long, low, continuous frontage which is unappealing for both the children who will use it and for passers-by on Broad Road.

Again, it is worth emphasising that the design used will be with us for generations. It is worth taking the extra time to come up with a design which complements and builds upon the existing successful design of the school, is welcoming to the children who will use it, and is sympathetic to the local streetscape.

Concerns about the impact of a larger school

The impact of increasing the population of the school by 50% presents a number of concerns. Moorlands functions as a two-form entry school; this is not just a matter of the number of classrooms, but also of the overall space available to pupils and staff. Increasing the school population by 50% will present numerous challenges – there will be a need for 50% more space for lunches (and presumably a larger kitchen); 50% more space for common areas like corridors and libraries, and 50% more playspace. A failure to allow for this will lead to a very crowded school. At the moment there is the risk of a reduction in the amount of playspace available at the same time as an increase in the number of children who will use it, which is clearly a poor outcome for the children at the school.

There are also significant traffic and transport challenges of increasing the school population by 50%. Temple Road and Broad Road already present significant challenges at school drop off and pick up times; footways are full, and pedestrians often spill into the carriageway; any conceivable parking space is taken, and there are instances of illegal parking and parking on the footway, and – due to the volume of parking, the volume of traffic, and the volume of pedestrians crossing the road – any traffic attempting to move through the area does so very slowly. In this context, increasing the population of the school by 50% without a strategy to address movement is not feasible. It can reasonably be expected that since Moorlands currently draws children predominantly from the immediate environs, any increase in the school population will see an increase in the proportion of those coming to school by car, which will therefore have an even greater negative impact on traffic volumes and parking in the Temple Road / Broad Road area – especially if these plans are carried out in tandem with an expansion of Templemoor. The traffic impact of the extension to the school will be significant – an additional 240 trips per day, concentrated at peak times – the equivalent of putting a new small school at the site of an existing traffic hotspot – and there will therefore be a need for a strategy to address this. A Transport Assessment and a Travel Plan will be needed to accompany the planning application, in which it will need to be demonstrated that the traffic impact is not significant – some significant intervention will be required to make this case credibly.

I am not against, in principle, a three-form entry school (though my view is that this does seem a very large school for primary school children; and my instinctive preference would be for more, smaller schools, closer to children’s homes, to which they are able to walk, and which will better foster an environment in which all children know all others – rather than large super-schools drawing children from a wide area). But if we are to have a three-form entry school more needs to be done than simply adding classrooms onto a school designed for a two-form entry.

When a school is considered for expansion, its existing accommodation is compared to Department for Education guidance for a 3 FE Junior School. Hence the need for additional accommodation beyond 4 classrooms such as a studio, specialist teaching room for Food tech or Art and Design, staff spaces and breakout rooms and externally an extended playground. This is so that the school can enhance and continue to offer an excellent education to a larger cohort.

Part of the application process includes a transport assessment. The findings from this will both be considered and implemented where possible to minimise the potential disruption caused by extra pupils who will be attending the school. The school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should make it considerably easier for pedestrians approaching the school and residents adjacent to the school.

Concerns about the construction phase

While most of the issues raised above relate to the finished product, I also have a number of concerns about the construction phase of the project. These have particular relevance to the cohort of children coming through the school right now, who have just come out of two years of highly disrupted education, and for whom teachers are currently having to put in a significant amount of work catching up on missed learning. These children have missed not just education, but also opportunities for social development and play, and their needs must be given particular weight.

The development is expected to take a year. This seems to me to be an optimistic scenario, but even if this is the case, this is a whole year in which some children must be housed in temporary classrooms; and in which the amount of playspace available is severely compromised. The opportunity to play on the play equipment, the MUGA and the other excellent outdoor space that Moorlands offers is one of the most important aspect of many children’s days, and is the best exercise some children will get on any given day. An entire year of missing out on this – particularly after the lost opportunities for play and for physical exercise of the last two years – would be a terrible, in some cases catastrophic outcome for this cohort of children.

We understand that education for all children has been disrupted during the pandemic. However, ISG Ltd. are very experienced at working on live school sites and will work hard to minimise further disruption by liaising closely with the school to work around school events and programming disruptive works during the school holidays where possible.

The design team are considering the possibility of implementing the MUGA at an earlier point in the project. However it should be noted that the MUGA restricts the amount of play space available to the children during this time as the number of users is limited. It may be that an equivalent playground space can be provided prior to the start of the construction works. However, the MUGA will definitely be re-instated once work has been completed if not at an earlier stage.

I am also concerned about the traffic impact of the construction phase. Broad Road and Temple Road are already highly congested and dangerous at peak times; and the volume of footfall is such that pedestrians often spill into the carriageway, and vehicles often park on the footway. When construction traffic is added into this mix, as well as an increased volume of footfall and vehicular movements due to the increasing population of the school, the potential for accidents is significant.

For this reason, construction should be done in a way sympathetic to the users of the school. Playspace should be resited before it is lost; construction should be timed for school holidays, and new classes should only be introduced once the capacity for them exists in order that the need for temporary classrooms is negated.

Site and construction traffic is carefully managed by ISG to minimise the disruption caused. Measures will include no deliveries to site during drop off and pick up times, Banksman to manage any site traffic and a delivery plan to ensure traffic is not waiting near to site before they are allowed to enter and deliver materials. Additional school places are required as soon as possible to ease the pressure in the Junior phase across Sale schools, hence the requirement for the two temporary classrooms for September 2022. Every effort will be made to ensure adequate play space is provided especially during the construction phase.

Operational Concerns

Whilst I appreciate the consultation has been primarily about the building and grounds, I am concerned about the operational difficulties that the expansion, in the way in which it is proposed, will present the school, and of the impact that these could have on both existing and future cohorts of children. I can see the operational logic of expanding Moorlands in conjunction with expansion at Templemoor, but having 3 years of growth through migration into area (across existing year groups) before a full cohort of children come through from Templemoor will present major challenges for Moorlands at a time when they are still trying to ensure children catch up after missing so much education from covid closures.

I am worried about the potential impact of split classes (which will presumably be needed for budgetary reasons), and am very concerned that my daughters' classes might be split up and social networks (already disrupted due to Covid) further damaged and split: there is a bulk of evidence to highlight the impact covid has had on the mental health of children and young people, and a scenario where classes are split up and children reallocated alongside new peers should be a real concern and something which is considered alongside the actual building process. This risk could be somewhat mitigated if Moorlands is funded appropriately by the local authority over the next 3 years such that there is limited impact on existing classes - I hope such assurances will be given to the school and parents.

School will organise classes once final numbers are known and endeavour to ensure that consideration is given to the welfare of all of pupils, both new and existing. The school will be appropriately subsidised to fund the necessary teachers while classes fill up. The benefits to all children may include smaller class sizes initially.

We have not had any information about expansion plans at Templemoor, and I would also like to stress that expanding Moorlands without expansion at Templemoor would be a disaster for both the short term and longer term educational standards at Moorlands. Whilst a full cohort coming through from Templemoor would give stability and a cohesive structure to the school/s, expansion at just the junior phase risks Moorlands becoming a 'dumping ground' (for want of a nicer phrase) for anyone new into Trafford, and also risks the pupil population becoming very transient which does not lend itself to good outcomes or good social structures for anyone.

For the reasons outlined in this section, it would be much more logical for an increased PAN at Templemoor to begin in September 2023, with a corresponding increase in PAN at Moorlands in 2026 to accommodate the new numbers coming through from the infant school. This would also give a much more sensible timeframe for planning, design and build such that we get the best outcome for the students, staff and the local community for many years to come.

Conclusion

Moorlands is a good local school, and an asset to the community. It is also highly fortunate to have such a large site, and I can therefore understand why Trafford sees the opportunity for expansion. However, the proposals, as they currently stand, risk bringing forward a sub-standard solution which will be detrimental to the educational experience of the school’s pupils and will have a negative impact on the local area. The current programme seems wildly ambitious, and risks bringing forward a school which is crowded on the inside and unwelcoming on the outside; shortcomings that will be with us for generations – or, possibly more likely, proposals will fail to get through the planning process. The scale of work between now and the submission of a planning application, along with the provision of evidence that will ensure success of such an application and safeguard against appeals, should not be underestimated. Creating a successful three-form entry school is about much more than simply adding some extra classrooms to a two-form entry school.

Therefore, my suggestion is that the proposed start date should be put back in order to give sufficient time to work through and address design issues (no doubt there will also be many raised by others) and reconsult with neighbours and the parent body, in order to arrive at a solution which will best serve current and future generations of children and the local community.

The need for school places drives the delivery programme but at the same time the Council endeavours to deliver a fit for purpose extension that adds to the school’s facilities so that all children will benefit. It allows the school to grow to 3 forms of entry as many other primary schools in Trafford have done in the last 10 years. Which enables it to draw from a wider skill set of teachers and boost the educational offer to all children.

Comment 33

I'm writing to comment on the proposals for extending Moorlands Junior school. Thank you for the opportunity to view and comment on the plans at this stage.

The representatives of the project team were helpful and informative when describing the current proposals. However, the information they provided has raised a number of concerns.

Our overall view of the proposals are positive and we support the extension of the school which is directly opposite our own home. However we feel the following areas of the proposals require additional consideration to enable the design and construction of the project to fit with the surrounding community.

Design

The design details for the new extension were unclear at best in the consultation session and were described as either brick or panelled materials. The local area is predominantly in brick construction and it is hard to see how the use of panelled construction would fit with the character of the local area.

Similarly, little effort or thought seems to have been made to break up the visual outline of the new block or to blend its appearance with the existing building.

External materiality is still under consideration at this time and we will consider different options before progressing a final solution. Local context and blending with the existing building will be a major factor in the final decision.

Construction traffic

The proposed construction entrance is close to an already very busy location for school drop off and pick up. It would make more sense in our view for the construction entrance to be located off Dane Road, away from the currently congested areas.

Student transport

With the expansion of school intake more thought needs to be given to the transport arrangements and drop off locations for pupils. There appears to be a very low take up of 'green' travel options for the vast majority of parents dropping off children and regular parking on pavements and across driveways at the start and end of the school day. Development of walking and cycling options and the restriction of waiting on Broad Road should be considered.

As part of the planning application, the school will be required to update their Travel Plan which is designed to reduce car journeys and promote active travel. They are also being considered for a school street, where parts of the roads surrounding the school will be restricted whilst children arrive and leave the school site. This should reduce the parking on pavements and across driveways near the school and make it safer for pedestrians, scooters and cyclists.

Summary

We strongly support the principles of extending the school, and look forward to further detail on the design and operation of the project.

Overview

Trafford Council has a duty to provide school places for every child resident within the borough. This duty has been met by expanding a number of Primary Schools across the borough to meet local demand. Over the last 10 years Altrincham and Sale have experienced the greatest demand within Trafford and although birth rates are now levelling off, there is still significant inbound migration to access Trafford primary schools.

Therefore, Trafford Council are now proposing the physical expansion of Moorlands Junior School to move the admission number from 60 (2 forms of entry) to 90 (3 forms of entry).

The Council held preliminary discussions with the School and then the School joined with Council Officers to consider submissions from 3 contractors before appointing ISG Ltd. and their associated architects, Ellis Williams Architects. A series of meetings has been held to allow the School to participate in developing the proposal alongside Council Officers and the appointed Design and Build Contractor.

Stakeholders were invited to the school on Tuesday 22^nd February 2022 and the informal consultation now continues online.

You are invited to comment on the proposed plans detailed below. Comments should be submitted by 9^th March 2022.

The school currently admits 2 forms of entry (60 pupils) in each year group, 240 pupils in total as well as a 10 place Small Specialist Class (SSC). The plan is to expand the school to 3 FE or 90 pupils in each year group (Years 3-6) 360 pupils in total.

The proposed expansion of Moorlands Junior School will, in the first instance, be provided by a temporary double mobile classroom, from September 2022, which will provide places to meet the increasing demand in upper year groups throughout Sale, where every school is currently full in the Junior cohorts. The School, rated good by Ofsted, is centrally placed within the Sale East area and has the capacity to accommodate additional building.

The Proposal

If the proposal goes ahead, one temporary double classroom will be required from September 2022.

The new block is single storey and proposed to sit on the site of the current Multi Use Games Area (MUGA), along the Broad Road elevation.

The new accommodation will consist of 4 new classrooms, a studio and a specialist space for Food Technology/Art/Design along with associated office and WCs. There will also be a small amount of remodelling work in the existing school to allow for two small SEN rooms and a hygiene room.

Externally the staff car park will be expanded with a further 8 spaces and the MUGA will be relocated.

Once the construction is complete the temporary double classroom will be removed.

Proposed Timeline

Invitation to view plans 22^nd February 2022

Proposed planning application submission March 2022

Installation of temporary double classroom August 2022

Start of construction (subject to planning approval) Autumn 2022

New building planned to open September 2023

Proposed Plans

Please click below to view each of the following plans;

Plan 1 – Existing earth location plan

Shows a Google Earth 3D image of the existing site together with a red line plan showing site boundary.

Plan 2 – Proposed site plan

Shows possible locations of the temporary double classroom, the new extension, the re-located MUGA and the extended carpark.

Plan 3 – Proposed new block layout plan & remodelling works

Details the layout of the additional classrooms and associated spaces in the new extension and alterations to existing building.

Plan 4 – Proposed elevations

This plan details the elevations of the new block from different angles showing relative height and scale.

Plan 5 – Proposed 3D view

Shows a simple 3D view of the new extension and how it connects to the existing school.

If you would like to express your views on the plans, please complete the following questionnaire or email school.admissions@trafford.gov.uk. Alternatively you can write to Marilyn Golding, School Admissions, Trafford Council, Waterside House, Sale M33 7ZF. Comments should be submitted by 9^th March 2022.

Responses to this consultation will be available on this site after the consultation closing date.

There will be another opportunity to formally comment on the proposed plans when they are submitted via the planning portal.

What happens next

Responses to this consultation will be available on this site after the consultation closing date.

There will be another opportunity to formally comment on the proposed plans when they are submitted via the planning portal.

Contact

Results updated 8 Jun 2022

Complete Proposal

Links:

Overview

What happens next

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