New plans proposed for Romford’s first free school

New plans to build Romford’s first free school are being reconsidered next week after planning permission for its new building was delayed last month because of lack of parking.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) have submitted new plans for the building of a new school on the former site of Oldchurch Hospital, Union Road, which will be considered by the council’s Regulatory Services Committee next Thursday.

The plan is for the existing building to be demolished and replaced by the Concordia Academy, a four-storey primary school taking 90 pupils in its first year, which is due to open in September and will be run by REAch2 Schools.

Amendments to the initial plans include an additional five parking spaces for staff – bringing the number of on site parking from eight to 13 spaces.

A 42-metre drop off facility has also been planned on the southern side of Union Road.

REAch2 Schools was also asked to clarify their PE curriculum is “balanced”.

A sports hall, outdoor play space and a bicycle storage area were also proposed in the planning application.

By 2020, the three-form entry school should reach its full capacity and cater for 630 children aged between four and 11.

The proposal was initially presented to Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who was in favour of the plans.