Plans for Nishkam school on Osterley sports ground 'have 80% support'
07:27, 13 July 2015
By Robert Cumber
A planning application for the Sikh-ethos school claims a public exhibition showed there was strong support
A model of Nishkam School West London's proposed new building at the old Conquest Club site in Osterley
Controversial plans for a new free school building on an old sports ground have moved a step closer, with the applicants claiming they have more than 80% support from local people.
A planning application for a new two to three storey building at the Conquest Club site in Syon Lane, Osterley, to house Nishkam School West London, has been submitted to Hounslow Council.
It states the proposals had the overwhelming support of visitors to a public exhibition in May, with 83% of respondents giving the plans their backing in a survey completed by more than 200 people.
The supporting document by Nishkam, the Education Funding Agency (the public body which funds new schools) and the architect BAM Construction also says Nishkam may consider leasing parts of the building for community uses outside of school hours.
The planning application was submitted last month and has yet to be considered by the council's planning committee.
However, a separate application to demolish the clubhouse on the grounds, also known as the White Lodge site, has been rejected as the council decided it did not fall within permitted development rights.
The school, which is currently based at an old office block in London Road, Isleworth, will have 1,400 primary and secondary aged pupils when it reaches full capacity. There are also plans for a nursery.
Plans for the new building at the disused sports ground have angered some local residents. They are concerned about the loss of metropolitan open land, which is afforded the same protection as the green belt, and have formed a protest group called Keep Osterley Green.
Should the plans be approved, the school would occupy just under half the grounds, with the other half set aside for Grasshoppers RFC.
The rugby club is currently in talks with the council about moving from its current premises in nearby MacFarlane Lane to make way for the new HIP (Hounslow Improvement Programme) School.
Nishkam's trustees claim to have looked at nearly 200 sites in the borough before settling on the location. They said the others were either unsuitable or unavailable.
The school, which opened in 2013, is described as having a Sikh ethos but it accepts pupils of any or no faith.
A decision has yet to be made by Hounslow Council on either planning application for the Conquest Club site.