NEW all-weather sports facilities and better parking arrangement have been proposed for a York school.

St Peter's School at Queen Anne's Road, Clifton has submitted plans for the facilities , which would be accessed from Westminster Road, with City of York Council.

The school says the submission follows public consultation with the local community including a public exhibition event and online feedback.

Positive feedback was received over the additional sports facilities for community use, improved emergency access, and the parking arrangements to ease traffic pressure on several roads near the school.

The consultation also formed links with local sports groups to ensure the facilities best met the needs of the community.

The proposed sports facilities include hockey pitches, tennis and netball courts, cricket nets and storage areas, to be used by both the school and local community.

If approved, they would be built on an existing sports field, adjacent to the 8-13 school buildings and swimming pool.

Access will be from an improved entrance off Westminster Road and the proposals also include dedicated coach parking, visitor parking and parent drop-off areas, to help ease current traffic issues around the site. A programme of landscaping is also included to aid biodiversity.

A new dedicated layby and student drop-off/pick-up point is proposed to address current capacity issues.

Westminster Road will also be widened to improve vehicle circulation and reduce potential congestion at its southern end, as welll as improve access to and from the site.

Two new parking laybys are proposed on the north of the road, each 2m by 12m long to effectively widen the usable width of the road when vehicles are parked.

Furthermore, a new pedestrian crossing will be provided at the site entrance at the end of Westminster Road, allowing users of existing public rights of way to continue to use these routes safely.

A new emergency vehicle access is included in the plans, as emergency vehicles currently struggle to enter the school site via Queen Annes Road and North Parade, and require additional space and a general easing of traffic along these roads.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master of St Peter’s School said: “The public consultation was incredibly helpful to understand the views of local residents and to use that feedback to inform the submitted design.

“We have taken on board a range of views and believe the submitted plans address our vital need for new sports facilities, whilst significantly improving the highways picture around the St Peter’s site, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion overall.

“These proposals are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance sports facilities, increase student participation and ensure we can welcome more community sports groups to share in first-class facilities”.