Decision time for controversial St Luke’s School expansion plan

Controversial plans to increase a northern beaches school’s intake by 10 per cent are set to be decided on. And it comes after the proposal to boost capacity at St Luke’s Grammar has been rumbling on for the best part of a year.

The proposal for St Luke's Grammar School has been rumbling on for the best part of a year. Photo: Adam Ward

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Controversial plans to increase a school’s intake by 10 per cent are set to be decided on.

The proposal to boost capacity at St Luke’s Grammar School at Dee Why from 992 to 1092 has been rumbling on for the best part of a year.

The Sydney North Planning Panel had been expected to decide on the proposal at the start of this year but it was put back.

The panel will now make a call on the proposal at a meeting on June 26.

The proposal equates to an increase of around 10 per cent of the total student number.

There will be no changes in the number of staff.

However the school has said the staff to pupil ratio will still be well under the national guideline of 14:1 (going from 8.4:1 to 9.2:1).

Residents have come out strongly in opposition to the proposal and have even launched a group called St Lukes Resistance.

Much of the opposition relates to fears of increased traffic and parking issues.

Residents have said it isn’t even worth attempting to go out at morning and evening peaks. Picture: Richard Dobson

In a submission to council, Julian Soper, who lives near to the school, said the increase would bring more cars to the already busy area.

“The traffic is already too busy on Tango Avenue,” she said.

“People drive at high speed along the road, it is dangerous.”

Michelle Redford-Smith said she is “totally and utterly against” the proposal adding that the area has changed from “a pleasant community minded neighbourhood to a traffic congestion nightmare” where “residents are hostages in their own homes” during drop off and pick up times.

Fellow resident Nick Schutt said the situation was becoming “unsafe and unworkable”.

But Natalie Nolan, from Nolan Planning Consultants acting on behalf of the school, said the application addresses the need for more school places in the region and “does not have any detrimental impact on the amenity of the adjoining properties”.

The school has prepared a traffic management plan in a bid to prevent traffic problems with the increased numbers.

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As part of the plan staff members will be stationed in the surrounding streets to help children on and off buses and in and out of cars to make the process quicker and smoother.

The school is also staggering the school day so not everyone leaves at once.

However, council officers have spoken in opposition to the plan with its traffic engineer stating the school has not been able to resolve the choke point created along Headland Rd, Quirk St and Tango Av.

“Any increase in student number can only come after the school carries out road works and providing additional off-street parking to address the issues currently affecting through traffic and surrounding residents,” the council’s traffic engineer said.

Meanwhile an independent study carried out by The Transport Planning Partnership (TTPP) said the increase in numbers “would not result in a notable increase in traffic generation”.

“The proposed modification to increase school enrolments by 100 senior students can be

accommodated within existing constraints in relation to traffic and parking,” Ken Hollyoak director of TTPP said.

The planning panel will meet on June 26 at the Christie Conference Centre, Walker Street, North Sydney.