Croxley Danes, a New School in Three Rivers District gets the Go-Ahead

Three Rivers Planning Committee approved plans for the new Croxley Danes School at the end of January. Construction can now go ahead providing outstanding drainage issues are resolved. Croxley Danes School initially opened in September 2017 with 120 Year 7 students in temporary accomodation at St Clement Danes School. When its new premises are ready it will be an all-ability, co-educational state secondary school serving South West Hertfordshire with a capacity of 1206 students aged 11-18.

Work to create level areas for sports pitches is now to use earth excavated from elsewhere on the site, minimising the lorry traffic during construction. In the interests of safety, parking for all works and contractors' vehicles will be on-site, separated from the access and parking for the current temporary buildings.

Liberal Democrat councillor, Steve Drury, said, "It's not a perfect solution because the site is less than ideal. However, the contractor anf the Highways Authority have listened to local opinion and come up with an improved access design. This has saved some of the parking spaces and eliminated the right turn lane by the shops. Well done Tony Walker (Croxley Hardware) who led the campaign for this on behalf of local residents and traders."

Details of safe cycle routes and on-street parking are not yet finalised, but the Planning Committee rejected Conservative moves to sacrifice parking spaces to make a short stretch of cycle path. Dickinsons Ward councillor, Phil Brading said, "The proposal made little sense; it was not part of a thought-through cycle plan and would have reduced the number of parking spaces available to shoppers. The Conservatives clearly don't care about these small shopping parades which are vital assets for our local community."

Councillor Drury added, "We'll be holding further discussions with HCC highways officers about safe access routes for cyclists and pedestrians and about the planning implications - especially the impact that the school will have on traffic flows down Baldwins Lane in the morning rush-hour as well as rat-running through nearby residential roads."

The picture is an impression taken from the planning application.