AFTER months of fierce debate, a controversial school access road has finally been approved by councillors.

The go-ahead marks another step forward for plans to reorganise secondary school education in Colchester, which will see Thomas Lord Audley and Alderman Blaxill schools close.

The future of the £100m-plus project rested on the Philip Morant School and College, off Rembrandt Way, Prettygate, getting permission for the new access road.

It will cut across open land, off Norman Way, and has attracted strong opposition from local residents.

However, at a meeting of Colchester Council’s planning committee, councillors voted in favour of two separate routes across the land, although only one can be implemented.

The first application was for the renewal of an application, originally granted in 1999, which would see a road built through the middle of the field.

The second application moves the road along the east of the site, running through vacant allotment land.

Both applications attracted objections from residents’ assocations and councillors.

Richard Pettit, chairman of the Painters Corner Residents’ Association, spoke against the initial application, but gave his support to the second proposal.

He said: “The first application will cut through the public open space, which is a safe play area for children. The access road will run alongside a public footpath and cycle way.

“We are supporting the second application rather reluctantly.

“This road has a less adverse effect on the public open space than the original road, and it’s safer.”

Another residents’ group said the second proposal had failed to solve the issues about keeping the area safe for children.

David Kennedy, chairman of Irvine Road Residents’ Association, said: “This new proposal is worse than the original one.

“It will cut off residents in Prettygate from the field and, with 400 residents waiting for allotment spaces, it seems scandalous.

“This area is a safe and traffic-free route for hundreds of people.

“The school has yet to demonstrate the need for this.”

Andrew Ellis, Tory councillor for Birch and Winstree, said, as the planning inspector had upheld the original application in the past, the committee had no choice but to accept it again.

He said: “We are between a rock and a hard place.

“If we turn this application down, it’s a given we will lose the appeal.

“I prefer the second road, as it protects the green.

“A road is always going to have a detremental impact in some way, but with the planting of trees, it can be mitigated in some sense.”

Neil Jones, a governor of Philip Morant, said the school was determined to work with residents to try to find an acceptable solution.

He argued the approval for both schemes allowed negotiation to take place outside of the planning procedure.

He said: “Improved access is becoming more and more of a pressing issue.

“The road will not be used by parents for dropping off children.

“The school is committed to giving back land which is equivalent to that being taken by the road.”

County Hall is now awaiting funding confirmation before the next stage of the schools reorganisation can take place.