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Wednesday May 1 | 2019
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PHOTO: Craig Matthews
State-of-the-art primary school stuns children and parents alike A PRIMARY school officially opened its doors last week, 18 months after pupils first arrived. It unveiled a dazzling array of buildings and facilities that were well worth the wait for pupils, parents and teachers. Bishop Chavasse Church of England Primary School on Baker Lane has been housed in temporary accommodation since September 2017. The free school has been set up by the Tenax Schools Trust, which was established in 2011 and also runs six other existing primaries in the local area. READ ALL ABOUT IT: Tenax Trust’s Chief Executive Ian Bauckham and Headteacher Donna Weeks with pupils in the new library
‘Agreement’ to protect Angels FC car park from Local Plan houses By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk CONFUSION surrounds the future of the car park at Tonbridge Angels Football Club’s Longmead Stadium in the run-up to the local elections tomorrow [May 2]. A ‘call for sites’ in the draft Local Plan submitted in January has identified part of Tonbridge Farm, the council-owned land around the club, as a potential site for 54 new houses on the Green Belt. But the sitting councillors in Trench ward where Longmead is situated, the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling Pam Bates and fellow Conservative Georgina Thomas, took to social media to insist the homes will not be built there. On the Facebook page for Trench Ward Community they stated: “The Long Mead
football ground will not be built on for housing. It was added to the Local Plan to display allocation. “It also allows more possibility in the future to regenerate the area, helping the football club, opening up opportunity.”
‘It will not be built on. It was added to the Local Plan to display allocation’ They revealed that there had been an ‘agreement’ between various councillors across the town about the importance of preserving the car park. “There is no planning application and councillors in Trench, Castle and beyond have a joint agreement that this is an important area for parking,” they said.
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However, the Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Parish Council, Nicolas Heslop, told Tonbridge Angels last October that the car park might be subject to a planning application – and that a different option would be discussed. He said: “The site is designated Green Belt, but exceptional circumstances for removing the designation are being made through the Local Plan process. “The council owns the land and in the event of the site coming forward for development in the future, alternative facilities for parking would be considered as part of the planning application process.” The club, which is contesting a play-off semi-final tomorrow [Thursday], has regularly attracted crowds of more than 800 fans towards the end of this season.
Headteacher Donna Weeks has been involved in the planning since its inception four years ago and told the Times: “It is a rare opportunity as a headteacher to be able to be part of the process to shape the design of a brand new school. “It has been an opportunity I have relished. It has enabled me to ensure that our children and the community have bright and spacious purpose-built school with stunning outdoor spaces.” Inside the architecturally imposing façade, the showpiece elements include the library and bespoke classrooms. “I knew how I wanted the school to look and the outstanding provision I aimed to create, with specialist classrooms for food technology, nurture, themed group spaces, an inspiring library and spacious classrooms for every year group,” said Mrs Weeks.
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