SEVERAL Glenhills residents gathered on Blackburn Road on Saturday last week to show their discontent at the proposed expansion of Hamptons Primary School. The school, which opened its doors in 2012, has brought three properties on the section of Blackburn Road that runs parallel with Umhlanga Rocks Drive, which residents say will mean a large traffic increase on this narrow road.
Grant Cockburn, chairman of the Mvoti Neighbourhood Watch, addressed a crowd of around 60 residents just outside the proposed entrance, at the intersection of Haleric and Blackburn.
He said the school planned to close the entrance on Umhlanga Rocks Drive and move it Blackburn Road due to the fact they were opening up a 70 bay car park in Blackburn Road with a school drop off zone in the two new premises (412 and 414).
Cockburn said the decision would negatively affect traffic volumes on a road that wasn’t designed for more than 600 additional vehicles a day.
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“In 1998, one of the residents who lives on Haleric Road opposed a creche which was proposed to be built behind her property. They took their battle to the high court and won as the City said the road network could not support 41 cars, now they are saying it is suitable for more than 600 vehicles. We are also concerned about the impact this development will have on the roads surrounding the school. The road is so narrow that it won’t allow cars to travel abreast. And what we saw on Saturday was a tenth of the actual quantity, so you can imagine the chaos,” he said.
Cockburn added the lack of consultation with residents was an issue.
Sarah Tryon, the director of Hamptons school said they are currently in the public participation phase of the rezoning application.
“Hampton Primary never has nor will it ever aspire to be a school of such large proportions. An exhaustive and very costly traffic impact assessment has been conducted and our application has been allowed to proceed. We pride ourselves on our affordability and strongly believe that every child should be given all the opportunities to receive a high quality education Hampton’s will be expanding on the facilities to provide our existing clientele with state of the art class rooms as well as a technology and media facility that will provide our children with opportunities, often only afforded to those who attend very expensive elitist schools. We respect the right of all community members to object,” she said.
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