SOUTH Farnham Infant School in The Bourne has been granted planning permission for a single-storey extension to accommodate new library facilities and a computer room.

Councillors unanimously approved the 516 sq ft extension, occupying part of the playground on the eastern side of the school, at last week’s meeting of Waverley Borough Council’s western planning committee.

Presenting the application, South Farnham headteacher Sir Andrew Carter stressed the extensions would not facilitate an increase in pupil numbers beyond the school’s current 210 students.

He said: “The extension is for a library and ICT facilities at the school, both of which are very poor, and we believe it’s been very sympathetically designed.

“It will benefit all the children in the school and it should be noted that this development will have no bearing whatsoever on pupil numbers, which are some 140 children less today than they were in the 1980s.”

Councillors praised the proposed new facilities, but raised wider issues around the former Bourne Infant School’s ongoing growth and specifically its access from School Lane.

“School Lane is unadopted,” said Farnham town councillor Paula Dunsmore. “Surrey County Council has to maintain access to the school but takes no responsibility for the wider maintenance of the lane or road safety.

“This leaves existing residents living with unacceptable consequences including the cost of repairs in School Lane caused solely by school traffic. This cannot be fair by any definition of the word.”

Responding, councillors including Carole Cockburn, who requested the application come to committee, agreed Waverley Borough Council should work actively with Surrey County Council to acquire funding for essential maintenance along the length of School Lane.

The Mayor of Farnham, Pat Frost, said the county council could potentially adopt the lane “if that is what the residents’ want” but added the school’s impact on local roads extends beyond just School Lane.

“This site cannot take much more expansion,” she said. “Traffic in the morning not only snakes out of School Hill, but backs up onto the A287 with parents waiting to drop their children off at the school.

“I support this application, but I really do think there is going to be a point where we’ve got to say enough is enough on this site because of the very real traffic problem.”