Consultation regarding the future of Knowle and Arden school and community
To whom it may concern

I am writing in relation to the proposal to move Arden School and build houses on the remaining Station Road site and also the building proposals for Stripes Hill. I have two main concerns:

Firstly whilst I am in agreement that Arden School desperately needs development and investment, I am slightly concerned that this has been approached by the current Head in such a haphazard way. There has been significant investment in the capital buildings at Arden in recent years and several new blocks have been built and opened including a new sixth form building, the art (smart)? block and the very recent additional modular building built in the last 12 months. All of these under the new proposal will be knocked down. Whilst I am told that the modular building can be relocated elsewhere the practicalities of finding the 'right fit' for it on any new site will make such a move nigh on impossible.

If the long term view was that the school was ultimately to be relocated then this money could have been better invested elsewhere. This is a fundamental mismanagement of public money and a shows a significant lack of financial accountability.

I therefore have little confidence in the current school management's ability to identify and manage the long term strategy for investment in Arden including the building of a new school. Perhaps this is a matter more for Ofsted rather than the local authority? however it must surely also be a matter of concern for the local authority.

My second concern relates to the infrastructure of Knowle and the surrounding area. As a resident of Milverton Road I have noticed in recent years increasing congestion caused by significantly increased traffic on Station Road, Lodge Road and Warwick Road. How does the Council propose to manage the further increase to traffic that will ensure from more housing should these proposals be agreed? There simply is not room to accommodate any further traffic on the current road system around the village. Aligned to that is the lack of available parking in the village. Shoppers and local business employees already park dangerously on surrounding residential road. I am very often barely able to reverse off my drive onto Milverton Road due to this problem - not only is this inconvenient, it is dangerous. This problem will only worsen as the village grows.

I trust that you will take account of my comments and respond accordingly.

As an aside I have found your website relating to the consultation documentation extremely difficult to navigate. Some of the links do not seem to work. One has to wonder if this is to make it as difficult as possible for people to comment on the proposals. I do hope not!