November 4, 2019 3.13 pm This story is over 53 months old

Boston special school approved despite parking concerns

The new build will create 142 places for students
New school plans for the "overcrowded" John Fielding School.

Lincolnshire County Council has rung the starting bell on plans to build a new 142-place special educational needs school in Boston, despite misgivings over parking issues.

The facility would replace the town’s John Fielding School, which would move from its current home on Ashlawn Drive.

It will be built on an area of green space on Kitwood Road which forms part of St Nicholas Primary School.

Councillors praised the proposals and the need for the school but were cautious over the impact on nearby roads caused by staff and parent parking.

Boston councillor and local resident Martin Griggs told the committee: “ The vast majority of residents will agree the provision will be fantastic, but the access to it leaves much to be desired.”

How the school may be laid out.

The authority said the new build would create 142 places for students.

It would include:

  • 12 places for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties
  • 88 spaces for students with severe or moderate learning difficulties
  • 42 places for students with autistic-spectrum disorder

The school would also hire an extra 80 staff members, taking the total staff to 137.

73 car parking spaces would be provided, including four accessible spaces and three electric car charging bays.

New school plans are being examined for the “overcrowded” John Fielding School.

Councillor Angela Newton said: “We find with applications that are excellent in themselves but absolutely within the wrong place.”

Executive head teacher for John Fielding also had his doubts about the “limitations” however, he said the school was putting together a travel-plan which would help alleviate concerns.

“When you look at what we have currently got, this is significantly better. It’s pretty grim what we’ve got currently,” he said.

He added the school “would not be able to contribute” to LCC’s own strategy for special schools in its current form.

Daran Bland, executive headteacher of the Priory and Garth Schools in Spalding and the John Fielding School, in Boston.

Councillors were told the site was the only location available and that it met the “quite high” parking standard policies laid out in the South East Lincolnshire Local Plans.

The application forms part of plans to spend £50 million on special educational needs in an effort to create 500 places county-wide, which councillors approved in November last year.

County council officials hope to open the school in September 2021.

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