A TILEHURST school that helps pupils with additional needs will be able to expand its capacity.
The Avenue School will see its cohort increase by 60 following a decision made by Reading Borough Council’s planning committee.
Staffing numbers will increase to 77.
The expansion will take place in offices that used to home the council’s children’s services team, but is currently unused.
When The Avenue opened in 2008, the school could take 150 pupils, but was expanded to 175. The decision means it will now accept 235 pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The extra 60 pupils can be admitted once the conversion take place.
Celebrating the decision, Cllr Jane Stanford-Beale (Conservative, Peppard) said: “I want to thank the authority for increasing the number of special needs spaces, as we’ve got so many more children that require them.”
The issue of car parking was raised as a concern.
A council officer pointed out that the council’s parking standards would typically require an additional 77 car parking spaces to be provided at the school, the plan only provides for 50 additional spaces.
However, the council reached agreement with the nearby Meadway Sports Centre to be able to use its car park during school times.
And it was felt that the parking issues were outweighed by benefits of the school’s expansion.
Committee chair Cllr Jo Lovelock (Labour, Norcot) said: “Given it used to have staff coming and going for the offices there, parking is extremely important to get right.
“It used to be quite busy because of the offices anyway, so it’s acceptable and a creative way of ensuring staff needing to get to the school can park.”
The plan was approved unanimously at the planning committee meeting held on Wednesday, February 2.
