Parking concerns as Oaklands Catholic School and Sixth Form College looks to expand

Parking concerns have been raised as a Hampshire school looks to expand its office space.

Some 15 parking bays will be lost as the school brings in a single-storey modular building to help with its office space which it said is currently at capacity.

Oaklands Catholic School and Sixth Form College at Stakes Hill Road, three miles south of Waterlooville town centre, said it needs the extra space while it undergoes an extensive heating replacement project.

Plans submitted to Havant Borough Council said the modular building is a practical, interim office space solution for teachers and support staff during the heating replacement project whilst their current offices are having building works undertaken.

Addressing car parking concerns, headteacher Matthew Quinn said no extra staff are being hired so it should not affect traffic to and from the site.

He said: “The intended users of the new modular building are existing staff members who are already employed by the school. These staff members currently face office space constraints due to ongoing building works related to an extensive heating replacement project.”

After the heating project is finished the block will provide essential additional office space for 10 “school support staff.”

The rectangular modular building will be sited in the northwest corner of the 15-space staff car park. There are currently a total of 179 car parking spaces at the school which will go down by 15 to 164 spaces retaining its existing eight disability, two motorcycle and two goods carrier spaces.

The new building will be 80 square metres and have two toilets and a cesspit pit for foul sewage.

The block will have anthracite grey insulated panels with a steel finish, a flat membrane roof, grey windows and a blue door.

A one-metre-high timber picket fence and gates are proposed to the east side of the building dividing it off from the existing staff car park and protecting staff from moving vehicles.

Founded in 1909, the school, rated good by Ofsted, has 1,374 students.

Havant planners will decide on application APP/24/00144 in due course.