WINCHESTER residents are gearing up for battle over controversial plans for a new 'super school'.

Residents in Cheriton Road and Links Road oppose the expansion of The Westgate Secondary School to include a 420-place primary school, arguing it will increase traffic and pollution problems.

The county council wants to build the school to increase school place provision and a council committee will decide on the plans next Thursday (June 6).

Around 50 residents met at The Fulflood Arms pub last week to sign an open letter to the council protesting against the plans, and were joined by new county ward representative, Cllr Martin Tod.

Residents argue primary school provision should be met citywide rather than confined to The Westgate and that there is less demand for places in the Fulflood area, meaning spaces will be filled by children coming from other parts of the city, increasing traffic.

Cheriton Road resident Paul Cooper said: “We have consistently argued that option B, the expansion of all primaries to cater for local demand, is a better route forward.

“This provides genuinely safe walk to school opportunities for children, whereas centralising the supply of places onto a single site at Westgate is going to lead to an overcrowded, over-developed site that will suffer gridlock twice a day.”

Neighbour Chris Jones added “That is not to mention the safety impacts that are all too easily ignored on the basis that 'nothing has happened yet.'

“We continue to urge the council to think again and hope that the committee scheduled to decide the issue on June 6 fully takes on board the rational objections that Hants CC seems determined to ignore.”

The county council plans to place 40 parking spaces in Chilbolton Avenue to try to reduce congestion but residents argue the spaces are too far away and in too busy a road.

But Cllr Peter Edgar, executive member for education, said: "The county council has a very good track record of accurate and high quality pupil forecasting, achieved by assessing demand from existing and new housing across a prescribed area.

“This contributes to an equally strong track record in ensuring the vast majority of parents can access their preferred school. Additional places at the Westgate School, along with expansions at two other primary schools, and a further three schools awaiting expansion, are designed to meet present and future demand for local school places in a context of parental preference.

“The plans are designed to allow as many of the children as possible to walk to school and so reduce the impact of increased traffic."