A NEIGHBOUR has spoken out against Romsey School's plans to extend its car parking.

Dr Helen Briers, who lives neighbouring the school on Priestlands, raised concerns over the noise pollution if a hedge is removed to the north of the school.

The decision over the new car parking spaces has been deferred by councillors on a planning committee.

As previously reported, the school, on Greatbridge Road, has applied for permission to remove a hedgerow, trees and 10 car parking bays to facilitate a bus bay and installation of 15 parking bays along the northern boundary, and planting.

The application appeared at the Test Valley Borough Council southern area planning committee on Tuesday, August 15.

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Dr Briers also raised concerns who would use the new parking spaces. She said: “It is stated that the new parking spaces will be used by staff only.

“However, the existing car park is used by other groups in the evening. How will it be enforced that it is staff only?”

She was also concerned about the lack of communication from the school about what the hedge would be replaced with.

She said: “My garden backs onto Romsey School car park. The school does not have a single fence on its north boundary. It is the neighbours’ fences which are there currently.”

Judith Houghton, from the Gate Way Trust, which runs the school, said it would be looking to enforce that the new spaces would be used only for staff parking following successful efforts at putting aside specific parking spaces for groups such as the Romsey Men’s Shed. She also said that the original parking spaces will not be enforced staff parking.

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Test Valley Borough Councillor John Parker said that he was “not at all happy with this parking on that northern edge” and asked for the decision on the application to be deferred.

Cllr Phillip Bundy said: “I think we are in danger of overcomplicating this. We want the applicant to go back to the residents and speak with them about what would be an appropriate boundary.”

The committee voted for the decision on the application to be deferred to a later meeting, with Romsey School asked to speak with residents about potential changes to the northern boundary.