New 6FE Secondary School, Cheltenham
Brief
With work on the New 6FE Secondary School in Cheltenham, Rappor were appointed to undertake a detailed Transport Assessment and Travel Plan for a planning application for a new 900 place Secondary School in Cheltenham.
The new secondary school building, with a new all-weather pitch, sports playing fields and a multi-use games area will open its doors to new Year 7 pupils in 2022 – and will provide much-needed school places for 900 pupils in Cheltenham aged 11 to 16 years old.
Issues and solutions
Given the sensitive nature of the site, in close proximity to the A46 Shurdington Road, which is a main arterial route into Cheltenham from the south and the constrained local highway network surrounding the site, a comprehensive mitigation strategy was developed for pedestrian and cycle access as well as reducing the impact of vehicular traffic. The final mitigation package was a result of extensive consultation with Gloucestershire County Council Development Management and from feedback from public engagement events.
Key to the acceptability of the scheme was safe access for all pupils and staff and this was through the provision of new pedestrian and cycle infrastructure that could make a real difference to the way future pupils could travel to the school. This included over 2km of new or upgraded footway/cycleway links; safe crossing points, including the provision of two TOUCAN crossings; new bus stop facilities; a School Safety Zone and traffic calming in the vicinity of the school.
The vehicular impact of the development across the local and wider network was assessed through a detailed microsimulation Paramics model. Where the impact on local junctions was at its greatest, suitable mitigation was provided.
The site image is provided courtesy of AHR, the lead Architect for the scheme.
Results
The committee voted unanimously in favour of the proposal and thus granted approval for the new school.
Final approval is now required by the Secretary of State, which will then allow the plans to progress to the next stage.