Cranmer School at Cricket Green is expanding to help it cope with a rising demand for school places. When the school put in its planning application for new building in May 2013 to cater for a 50% rise in pupil numbers we were supportive, while expressing concern in two areas:

• We wanted to see a strong travel plan. Even with pupil numbers before expansion there were considerable problems caused by the school run.
• We wanted to see local people able to benefit from the use of school facilities so that good use could be made of them outside of school hours.

The school has applied for permission to ‘discharge’ or have accepted as complete, its work in both those areas. Sadly we do not feel it has done enough in either respect.

The travel plan fails to address problems caused by drivers dropping off and collecting children, which even before the school’s expansion include illegal parking and causing obstructions in residential roads. We believe the 50% rise in pupils will make these problems worse and that Cranmer School is not doing enough to address this.

We are very disappointed that ‘community use’ of the school’s new Multi Use Games Area, is restricted to a very narrow definition of ‘community’ and want to see this broadened. We also want to see wider access to the school’s facilities for the local community out of school hours.

We believe that Cranmer School, which is in the heart of a residential community, should reach out widely to everyone and think beyond its current, narrow definition of community.

Read our representation to Merton Council Cranmer School community use & travel plan September 14