PLANS to expand a Newport school by 303 places have been given the go-ahead, despite concerns over traffic.

Newport council’s cabinet has agreed “to increase the overall capacity of Bassaleg School from 1,747 to 2,050 with effect from September 2023”, despite concerns from local residents.

The plans have gone through two sets of consultations, during which two formal objections were submitted. 

The main concern focussed on the traffic issues surrounding the school.

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The residents’ committee of Court Crescent and Forge Lane previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that current traffic levels were unacceptable.

This view has been echoed by an objector in the final consultation stage, who said “the neighbourhood is at total gridlock during school times”.

In the initial consultation, 184 people submitted responses, of which 16 raised concerns over parking, picking up and dropping off.

Although the cabinet has approved the proposals the plans are still subject to a planning application.

Council planners will have to approve traffic flow and highways plans for the school expansion.

Aside from traffic, objections were raised over the size of the school and its catchment area, but the council said it could be more disruptive if the catchment area was reduced and siblings had to attend different schools.

Questions were also raised over alternative sites, a reorganisation of post-16 education and a collaboration with a neighbouring authority, but none of these options were deemed appropriate by the council.

Despite the objections, the initial consultation on the plans found that 84 per cent of respondents supported the proposals, with eight per cent against it.

Ward member for Graig Cllr David Williams said he welcomed the proposal to increase the capacity of the school but has concerns over “the traffic that the larger school will generate and the impact on the community”.

He said: “Some specific areas that will suffer are Court Crescent and the Griffin and I hope that as much as possible can be done at the design stage to mitigate these problems.”

The project will cost around £28 million, with £16 million from the Welsh Government’s 21st century schools programme.

The council will fund the remaining £12 million through section 106 contributions from the Jubilee Park and Tredegar Park Golf Club housing developments, and supported borrowing.

A planning application will be submitted in due course.