CONCERNS have been raised over plans to open a new school in a Gloucestershire village.

Education provider Belong Learning is hoping to turn an old youth hostel and former Airbnb in Slimbridge near Dursley into a SEND school.

If plans are approved, the school would be open for 50 pupils aged 11 to 17.

The hostel - known as Wild Goose Lodge off Kingston Road - had been in use since 1967 but closed in December 2022.

A change of use application to officially change the site from a hostel to an education facility has been submitted to Stroud District Council.

The proposed site - which is located on the southern side of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal - would be open from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

According to the application, 28 full-time jobs could be created.

Proposed floor plans show spaces for new classrooms, a meeting room, a gym, breakout spaces, medical room and toilets.

The application states the plans would allow an existing school site in Whaddon to relocate and move to the proposed site in Slimbridge.

However, a number of concerns have been raised by neighbours and Slimbridge Parish Council who object to the scheme.

Concerns have been raised over plans to open a new school in Slimbridge (Image: Belong Learning / SDC) One resident said: “We have grave concerns with regard to the amount of traffic that this application is proposing.

"This is a single track road where there are no passing places.

“A major concern with all of this situation is the need for any of the emergency services to be able to get to any incident, which could cause a threat to lives.”

While objecting, the parish council asked the application to be reviewed by the district council’s Development Control Committee.

They have urged applicants to come up with an evacuation plan as a nearby 36MW battery storage unit was approved in April 2023.

There are also fears over the use of staff using a local public car park - which was originally installed to help manage tourism in the area.

In a statement, the parish council said: “This will have a detrimental impact on the highways through the village and the access road to the site is a narrow lane with no passing places.

“The concept of a school in this building is not dismissed entirely, and this does meet certain criteria of policies in re-using a building.”

Meanwhile, Highways bosses from Gloucestershire County Council have also objected to the application over similar fears of vehicles passing down the narrow lane.

A spokesperson from Gloucestershire Highways said: “I consider this proposal is not in an appropriate location.

“This will have implications in vehicles including all the taxis trying to pass along this single carriageway lane.”

A planning document reads: “The application seeks to change the use of the property to an education facility to enable the relocation of the existing Belong Learning facility from Whaddon to Shepherds Patch, providing education to children across the county.

“The current school in Whaddon has a capacity for up to 35 children.

“The relocation to Wild Goose Lodge in Slimbridge would enable an increased capacity of up to 50 children to meet greatly needed SEND education requirements in the county, along with greatly needed and enhanced outdoor space to improve the children’s education experience.”

The application was submitted in August.

You can view the application quoting S.24/1552/FUL or see here - tinyurl.com/4ka6j9aa