PLANS to build seven homes at the former site of St White’s School in Cinderford have been given the go-ahead despite concerns that “higgledy piggledy” parking could block access for residents.

Developers secured permission to build the homes at a Forest Council planning meeting last Tuesday (March 15).

Several councillors raised concerns about traffic problems around the site caused by parents picking their children up from the nearby school.

Councillor Julia Gooch (Prog. Ind, Newent & Taynton) put forward a motion to defer the scheme to see what the final conditions Gloucestershire Highways would suggest for the site, but the motion was voted down.

Cllr Lynn Sterry (Prog. Ind, Cinderford West) said some people drive “like lunatics” on the school run.

She said: “There should be a yellow box hatching outside the access to stop them parking. We are going to need a little more than yellow lines and zig-zags.”

Chairman David Wheeler (Green, Newland & Sling) said he had some sympathy with the motion because the main issue facing the proposals was the highway.

He said the parish council chairman was also quite vociferous about the problem of parents dropping off children at the nearby school and blocking access to the homes.

He said: “Parents will block the access to the development because they park higgledy-piggledy all over the place. Highways concerns are certainly quite a big issue.”

Planning officers said the highways authority did not have any objections and they have anticipated the conditions they would apply.

The vote to defer the proposals was lost by six votes against to three in favour with two abstention.

A subsequent move to approve the scheme was approved by six votes to two with three abstentions.