Plans are resubmitted for Portland Academy at Southwell (From Dorset Echo)

Plans are resubmitted for Portland Academy at Southwell

11:00am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News By Catherine Bolado

PLANS for Portland Academy at Southwell have been resubmitted.

The updated plans for the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy at Southwell Business Park have been submitted and are now on display at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s planning website.

The Academy Trust temporarily withdrew its application for the site in December to allow time to address concerns raised about travel – and the revised plans also include measures to ensure the important ecological nature of the site is protected and enhanced.

People have until March 27 to comment on the plans.

Details are now available about the academy’s travel plan and how students, parents and staff will travel to the new site, based on a survey.

The plans show how the academy plans to manage travel between the two proposed campuses at Southwell Park and Osprey Quay, and gives more information about the provision of dedicated buses across Portland.

The plan outlines the schemes and targets the academy will employ to encourage car and vehicle sharing to reduce and ease any potential for congestion around the site and gives full details of highway improvements which will be undertaken as part of the Southwell Business Park dev-elopment work.

Development work to provide safe and enhanced cycle and pedestrian access to the site has also been highlighted and ecological concerns have been addressed.

IPACA principal Alison Appleyard, pictured, welcomed the plan.

She said: “This month has seen the handover from Dorset County Council of our first new campus at Osprey Quay.

“The reactions of the students who have been to the Osprey Quay building has been real excitement.

“The new Southwell Park campus will deliver that same high standard of 21st-century facilities for all of our children, and enable us to realise the founding four schools’ original vision of an all-through Academy, where the educational focus is on the stage each student has reached individually, not their age.”

Dorset County Councillor for Portland Harbour Tim Munro, pictured, said: “The application, with the revised detail around transport and environmental issues, demonstrates their commitment to and understanding of the local wishes and concerns.

“This demonstration of positive response to the communities concerns, augers well for the partnership of community and academy.”

How to have a look

THE application can be seen in full by going to Dorsetforyou.com and searching for planning applications; choose Weymouth and Portland Borough Council – planning application search and quote reference Application WP/13/00101/FUL.

You can view the plans at the borough council offices at North Quay and people can submit comments in writing to Development Services, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, North Quay, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8TA.