PLANS for a major redevelopment of facilities at The Royal Junior School in Hindhead are being recommended for refusal by Waverley planning officers. The application for the Portsmouth Road school includes new entrance gates, a caretaker's house, a new chapel, construction of sports grounds, tennis courts, changing rooms and internal roads, following the demolition of existing buildings by the A3 tunnel construction. The proposals would see the current caretaker's cottage and school chapel knocked down, to make way for the new A3, and the school losing its access on to Portsmouth Road. As part of the A3 proposals the access to the school would be moved to Hazelgrove, leading off a new roundabout which would link the old and new sections of the A3. A replacement caretaker's cottage would be built next to the new site entrance and a replacement chapel would be built in woodland on the site. The proposals would also see the construction of a new lacrosse pitch, which would require extensive work to create a level playing field. The pitch would also include a series of terraces for seating and a new pavilion providing changing rooms for home and away teams and the construction of two tennis courts and a new car park with 50 spaces. The scheme has led to nine letters of objection being sent to Waverley Borough Council, with reasons including concerns over the possible use by other organisations out of school hours, noise and disturbance and the proposed facilities being larger than those they are replacing. Officers conclude that although the proposed development generally fits in with the policies for replacing buildings the countryside also has to be protected. In a committee report officers say there is "no question" the A3 tunnel scheme, which includes compulsorily purchased school land, has triggered the application. Officers also concluded the application had "paid scant acknowledgement to the existing landscape constraints of the area" and said the loss of many trees would "appear to be inappropriate and unjustified". They argue the school has enough space to accommodate replacement facilities to meet its future needs without the loss and damage to trees. Officers concluded the scheme would have "a material and detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the area as a result of the significant tree loss" and called on borough councillors to give the scheme the thumbs down. The final decision will be taken by Waverley Borough Council's development management committee on Wednesday, September 19.
