Ballarat Clarendon College has taken the first official steps to expanding its Sturt Street premises after the school’s draft master plan received significant backlash from nearby residents late last year.
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BCC lodged planning applications with the City of Ballarat late last week for the project which if successful will see the demolition of three houses on Ajax and Murray Streets and the relocation of another to facilitate the installation of new basketball courts.
The school’s current outdoor hard sports surfaces which face onto Sturt Street will be demolished, as will part of the existing girls boarding house. A new boarding house will be built near Ajax Street.
The school, which owns a host of properties along Ajax Street, is also applying to shorten the street to make way for the new facilities, creating a new court.
The existing chapel which faces towards Sturt Street is also set to go under the master plan, to be replaced by a new facility.
All up the project is expected to cost $2.5 million.
Neighbour James Robertson, who attended a community consultation session, said nearby residents felt as though the school needed to look at expanding elsewhere if it hoped to continue to grow enrollment numbers.
The school currently boasts 960 students, a figure it believes will grow to 1085 by 2026.
“There’s been a continual increase in traffic and a shortage of parking in the area too and at the end of the day this is a residential neighbourhood with heritage overlays,” Mr Robertson said.
About 50 per cent of the school’s block is zoned as special use, which provides for the use of private education, while the remaining 50 per cent is general residential.
Under the master plan the school is hoping to make the entire property special use.
The school conducted two community consultation sessions in late 2016 to gauge public opinion on the plan and have since prepared stakeholder engagement summary.
While council has received the planning applications, it will likely appear on advertising prior to being given the green light.
While BCC did not respond before deadline, the stakeholder summary states “the school does not intend to extend the boundary outside the proposed campus boundary, should the master plan be approved”.
“The school already operates over multiple campuses which present logistical problems,” the summary said.
“The current campus can accommodate the school into the future if the school and council plan carefully in conjunction with the community.”
