Manly Vale Public School upgrade plans amended after Education Department gives back some bush

The State Government has compromised on its original plans, but not everyone is happy.

Manly Vale Public School is soon to lodge development plans to build a new school.

THE  Education Department has bowed to pressure over the Manly Vale Public School site.

It has cut short one classroom building to reduce the encroachment on bushland, and added another — essentially bending the building — to give back about 0.3ha.

In March, an application lodged by the department to add 40 classrooms put parents and residents at odds.

It would have allowed for student capacity to grow from 400 pupils to 1000.

Parents said the school was grossly overcrowded.

But residents were concerned that the plan would destroy native wildlife.

Previous plans for Manly Vale Public School showed building M extending out.

New plans show the P building which has been added so the M building did not encroach further into the bush.

Now, a former principal of Manly Vale Public School has criticised the amended plan saying it would still “completely destroy” parts of Manly Warringah War Memorial Park.

David Tribe said the new school should be built upwards to keep the natural environment intact.

“They are destroying the natural area which has been used for a long time as a very wonderful teaching resource,” he said.

An Education Department spokesman said the changes meant “built form” on bushland decreased from about 0.8ha to 0.5ha.

He said all other designs would still have meant bushland was destroyed.

Northern Beaches Council general manager Mark Ferguson said while the loss of bushland was “not ideal” it was a better compromise.

Trees marked for removal next to Manly Vale Public school. Picture: Supplied

The council will prepare an assessment report before it is referred to the Joint Regional Planning Panel.

Former Warringah mayor Michael Regan was “gobsmacked” it took so long to reach a compromise.

“I think the whole department needs a fundamental and complete restructure,” he said.

He also questioned why the department was placing 600 additional pupils “in a small suburban street”