Inner west locals fume as private school seeks to raise student limit

An inner west private school has been accused by residents of ignoring a cap on student numbers, amid claims its expansion will worsen traffic congestion and negatively impact its neighbours.

Trinity Grammar School is seeking approval to raise the number of students permitted on its Summer Hill campus from the existing cap of 1500 to 1655 – the number of boys already enrolled.

Trinity Grammar School is seeking approval to raise the number of students permitted on its Summer Hill campus from 1500 to 1655.Credit: Nick Moir

The private boys’ school last year won approval from the Independent Planning Commission for a $127 million building project and a “staged increase” in its student cap from 1500 to 2100.

But the Commission said no increase in student numbers was permitted until car parking and student pick-up and drop-off facilities were completed.

The school already has 1655 students enrolled, so it wants to modify the development consent so that “the conditions are not prohibitive to the orderly and logical operations of the School and are not worded to restrict the number of students currently enrolled”.

A Trinity Grammar spokeswoman said the school was undertaking works on its grounds to provide additional car parks and extend traffic queuing to reduce its impact on local streets.

An artist’s impression of Trinity Grammar School $127 million redevelopment.Credit: Trinity Grammar School

“Parents wish to send their children to independent schools and the state also wants students to attend independent schools,” she said. “Trinity Grammar School is doing what it can to meet both those demands.”

Inner West Greens councillor Dylan Griffiths said residents have expressed concern about the impact of Trinity Grammar’s proposed expansion, including that it has breached its 1500 student cap.

“Changes to the school’s capacity need to consider local infrastructure, feedback and concerns raised by residents,” he said.

Traffic congestion and parking is another major concern, although Griffiths said he believed “some progress” had been made.

“I understand why residents are concerned about traffic, there is already very limited parking and school drop-off time is very busy,” Griffiths said. “Many pedestrians already feel unsafe on nearby streets, there is a retirement village and health facility nearby.”

Nearby residents submitted objections to the school’s application, saying more students would worsen traffic around the school and vehicles double-parking and blocking residential driveways: “On multiple occasions this behaviour has resulted in NSW Police issuing infringement notices.”

Another resident said the school should be required to reduce student numbers until it meets the conditions imposed by the Commission: “What is the point of setting a maximum student number and then allowing Trinity to substantially exceed that maximum apparently without penalty?”

Sydney’s private schools have embarked on a building spree, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into lavish new facilities that trigger conflict with neighbouring residents concerned about traffic congestion, parking problems and oversized buildings.

St Aloysius’ College has been accused of trying to “shoehorn” a new campus for Year 9 boys into an already congested part of Rozelle.

Pymble Ladies’ College has also attracted strong opposition from residents and Ku-ring-gai Council over its building plans, which will be assessed by the Independent Planning Commission.

Summer Hill Labor MP Jo Haylen said residents had raised concerns about the Planning Department’s handling of the school’s building plans: “I have also raised these concerns with the Minister for Planning’s office but haven’t received a response.”

A Planning Department spokesman said it would consider issues raised by the community as well as the school’s response to those submissions.

Griffiths said the area needed more places in local schools, “but many working families in the Inner West can’t afford to send their children to exclusive private schools like Trinity”.

“I’d like to see government better support local public schools so that they can better upkeep and expand their facilities to facilitate new enrolments,” he said.