THE lack of provision for a school in one of the borough's New Eastern Villages has been criticised.

Developers looking to build Foxbridge village have lodged plans for nearly 700 houses, to be built in two halves.

The northern 299 houses could be built by Danescroft and the 370 houses south of the main road through the new village by David Wilson Homes.

But neither company has included plans for a primary school in their proposals. The council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, Gary Sumner – who is politically responsible for driving the expansion plans – will not accept that.

He said: “The developers have submitted their proposals and neither of them indicate a place for a primary school – and that is required.

"Each of the primary villages need a primary school in them

“A village of 700 homes needs a school – in terms of place-making – a village builds a community around places like a school and a pub and shops.

"It’s where the village will have fetes and events – without it you don’t have a sense of community.

"And if you build a village of 700 homes and have the children being drive elsewhere to school, you generate a lot of extra traffic.”

The proposals by the developers point out there are 13 other primary schools within a two-mile radius of the new village and they aren’t full, with 152 places remaining in spring 2018.

They say the Foxbridge village doesn’t really need a new school.

But Coun Sumner, and crucially officers at Euclid Street, disagree.

Coun Sumner said: “I have had positive conversations with the developers and made my concerns known. We agreed to see what was said in the comments.

“The education team at the council have now come back and said a school will be required, so we’ll see what the developers come up with.

"They both agreed to reconsider the matter on completion of the consultation on their applications and we look forward to working positively with them going forward on the most suitable site for a school within this new village.”

A spokesman for David Wilson Homes said: “We are in the early stages of developing proposals for Foxbridge South and are working with the local authority to agree the community facilities required.”

Danescroft did not respond to a request for comment

The applications can be viewed on the council website using the search term Foxbridge.

Comments can be made on Danescroft’s proposals for the northern half of the village up to June 1.