New Primary School in Central St. Albans Could Open in September

Herts County Council this week agreed to go ahead with the purchase of the University of Hertfordshire's School of Law in Hatfield road for the provision of a primary school.

Several Councillors are said to be concerned that the speed at which decisions are being made with regards to the school means safety, traffic, and other concerns over the site have not been properly considered. Plans to use the site as a primary school were first made public in December, with rapid progress made since then.

Councillor Rod Perks told the Herts Advertiser that it's thought the school may be turned into a free school, and said, “We don’t know who is going to run this school and what their motivations will be. We could have well-intentioned people or people looking to run a free school for profit."

The parents of primary school aged children who live in the Centre of St. Albans, as my own family does, are likely to be thrilled at the prospect of a new school opening within easy walking distance of many homes. Other centrally located schools such as Aboyne Lodge, Maple, and Bernards Heath are all woefully over-subscribed, meaning some who live within sight of on of these schools have, over the past few years, sometimes found there was no place for their children.

Although it's still to be decided whether the new school will open as a Free School, such a move would enable the school to determine it's own admissions criteria, potentially accepting children from further afield who meet specific criteria. This, in turn, could mean that the school increases traffic congestion as students from farther afield are driven to class, and reduce the number of places for children living in the immediate area.

Things seem to be moving ahead quickly with the County Council's plans, but have they taken the time to carefully consider some of the issues raised, both by the application to make this a Free School as well as the location of the building, it's current configuration, and traffic issues? We're interested to hear your views...