School car park could be bought by council

A car park used by staff and visitors to a primary school could be bought by a local authority for £325,000.

Peterborough City Council has leased the parking area for The Beeches Primary School, for 15 years, but the lease has expired without a right to renew.

The council will now consider whether to buy the land to ensure school users can still park there as there is no suitable alternative nearby.

The recommendation to buy the freehold land will be considered at a meeting of the council's Labour-led cabinet on Tuesday.

The Beeches is a council-run school in Beech Avenue, Peterborough.

Planning officials said if the council had to vacate the land it would "significantly disrupt school operations" and "affect safeguarding".

The report said: "The land also provides the only access point for emergency vehicles, making it critical to the safe and effective operation of the school site".

The £325,000 price tag was reached after negotiation with the landlord and a Red Book valuation, which is a formal, independent valuation of the land.

Planners recommended the sale should be funded by the local authority's approved capital programme.

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