LAND that was set aside for building a church and community centre will now be used for an extension to the local primary school.

St Francis Church of England Primary School, in Taw Hill Village Centre, had applied to build a new two-storey block with eight classrooms on land that had been designated for a church building when the area was planned in 2002.

The school also wants to extend its community room, assembly hall and kitchens.

It had also applied to create a 29-space public car park on land that had previously been earmarked for a community centre.

Swindon Council officers recommended the plans be approved and pointed out that the Diocese of Bristol had confirmed it no longer required a separate church building and would continue to use rooms at the school for worship.

Officers said the extension was needed due to the rapidly expanding population of north Swindon, meaning there was a lack of primary school places for children there.

They said they had received 15 letters of objection to the plans saying it was over development, was out of character with the area, would increase pressure on car parking in the area and make the roads more unsafe, but there had also been 19 letters of support.

The school had also offered to pay £20,000 for a pedestrian crossing and provide £15,000 towards traffic management in the area.

Headteacher Clive Westall said: “ We have now come to the point where if the school doesn’t have an extension it would be detrimental to the schoochildren.

“Currently the school has to turn families away.”

He said the plans would enrich the local community and the school would continue to work hard at finding ways of encouraging families to walk or cycle to school to reduce the amount of traffic in the area.

Coun Dale Heenan (Con, Covingham and Nythe), said he was in two minds about the application.

“It appears to be over-development, but I don’t see any other way the school could expand on this site,” he said.

Councillors on the planning committee agreed the proposals but imposed conditions.