CONTROVERSIAL plans to expand a Silverdale school resulted in a head-on confrontation between city planners and local residents.

When members of Lancaster City Council's planning and highways committee arrived by bus for a site inspection, they found their way blocked by residents with Save our Lanes' banners.

The demonstrators were objecting to plans to expand Ridgway Park School, off Gibraltar Road, on grounds that it will increase traffic problems in the area's narrow lanes.

At their meeting on Monday (June 2), councillors will be recommended to give conditional approval to four applications by the school.

But they will be advised by their officers to rule that pupil numbers should not exceed 37 at any one time.

But objectors to the expansion plans point out that there could be up to 60 members of staff working on a shift system and travelling backwards and forwards down the narrow lane, which currently has no speed restriction.

They also fear an increase in the number of large delivery vehicles travelling down the nine-feet wide road, used by local walkers, visitors to the area and horse riders.

The road leads to the National Trust beauty spot of Jack Scout' and eventually to Jenny Brown's Point.

Objectors to the plans include Silverdale Parish Council, the National Trust and the Arnside and Silverdale AONB Landscape Trust.

"Already we get convoys of traffic, with care staff and

teaching staff travelling up to ten o'clock at night," said objector Carole Bennett, of Gibraltar Cottage.

"The road is very narrow outside my cottage and I have to stop and listen before I go out of the gate in case anything coming."

Ken and Ann Kitchen, of Arnside, said they enjoyed the walk down Gibraltar Road because it was suitable for Mr Kitchen's invalid scooter.

Representatives of the objectors are to put their views to the city council's planning committee under the council's three-minute' speech rule on Monday.

The four applications to be considered include a new school building; an extension to an existing building to form a new dining room with bedrooms over it; an extension and alterations to Milnthorpe Lodge; and a single-storey rear extension to an existing summer house to form bedroom accommodation.

A spokesman for the council's planning services said that, because the school was for children aged 11-l6 with emotional and behaviour difficulties, there was a high staff to pupil ratio.

The Gazette tried to contact Ridgway Park School head teacher Barry Bridden but he was unavailable for comment due to half-term holidays.

May 30, 2003 09:30