Would you move if...

[WantaHouseintheWoods]

a Primary School was built next to your house?

We currently back on to a piece of woodland. Planning approval has been granted to build a new primary school. The entrance will be on another road so we won't be affected by school drops off/pick ups and our house will back on to the playing fields.

I'm a bit gutted. We've just paid off our mortgage and one of the reasons we bought this house was because of the woodland at the back. Have been thinking about moving but can't find anything I like without spending an additional £200k. i now wonder if it would be worth sticking it out and either seeing if we can hack it or selling in the hope that our 3 bed family semi will become more attractive to a young family wanting to be within walking distance of the new school.

WWYD?

I don't see the problem. The kids won't be there after 3pm or at weekends, so noise is hardly likely to disturb you.

If you really, really want a woodland view, then move. Otherwise I'd stay put.

I don't think that it will be as bad as you anticipate. The main issue with proximity to school is traffic, which won't impact you. You'll only hear the children during the two break times and at lunch time (assuming you're at home then) five days per week, term times only, when it's not raining. It won't be that bad.

A new school with modern facilities is likely to add value to a nearby 3-bed home, not detract from it, especially if it attracts a good headteacher.

I look out onto a wooded area (front of house) a little behind that is a school and the playing fields are at the bottom of the wood and the school is further up. I can't see the school and never really hear anything at all, except the bell sometimes. I don't think it will be a problem at all, and at least because of the school I know they won't build a housing development in the woods.

No, I'd far rather that than a housing estate. There will only be noise - and generally nice happy noise - in limited hours.

We used to live next to a primary school and the only (minor) issue was parking chaos for a shirt time each morning and evening.

As long as the actual entrance to the school was not on the same road as my house then no it wouldn't bother me.

I think there's something really sweet about living near a primary school. We hear the local one when its playtime. I would prefer woodland, but I don't think a primary school is too bad.

I would stay put as it's all happening "round the back". Look at it this way, better backing onto school playing fields than some other things.

I would also be gutted at losing the woodland but I used to live in house where the garden backed onto primary school playing fields and it was great - it meant there was a nice open space so lots of light and no noise at evenings/weekends.

The only time i remember it being annoying was when they had some really lazy people running the holiday club who sat on a bench in the middle of the field chatting and playing the local chat radio so loud I could hear the crap conversations.

It's sad that development if the land is happening but I agree with those saying that if development has to occur that primary school is a good use for it and should impact minimally on you as residents - any noise is limited to school hours, term time (30 odd weeks a year?) and is mostly the sounds of young children playing.

If you spent £200k and moved to another woodland aspect plot, there's no guarantee it wouldn't be developed again. The only way to guarantee your woodland is to buy it yourself, ie buy a house on a large woodland plot. Expensive and rare in the UK.

Development OF the land not if.

I wouldn't move as your house will back onto playing fields. I would feel safer not having woodland directly behind my house and your house will go up in value if the school turns out to be a good one.

It depends. Our primary school has one entrance but footpaths into the playground from neighbouring roads - because there simply isn't enough parking / road system is awkward so people park all around the school and walk in. I thought that was similar for most schools? But even then, if the playing fields weren't used for anything else, then it would only be for limited periods during the school week.

Another negative however is that our LA rents out / hires out playing fields. I know our school playing fields are used by a local football club after school in the evenings and on a Saturday morning.

But if its a good school, and its going to be in demand, then it may be worthwhile staying put and potentially move if and when demand / prices increase as a result of the school.

Our current house and our previous house both back on to primary schools. In both cases there are quite a lot of trees so we are shielded from a view of the school which you may well be too. At the previous house DD attended the school for KS1 and we had some garden steps to go over the wall into the grounds which was a massive plus (it was a 10 mins walk to the actual entrance). We bought the house off the schools former deputy head who had put them in - probably not a feature that would be encouraged now!

In both cases we're unaffected by school traffic due to location of school entrance which would be my main concern. My DC are teens so I sentimentally love the occasional noise. Work full time and still take most of my leave in school holidays so don't actually hear it that much but did hear massive excitement of leavers disco last month, aah.

We sold the previous house to a couple with a 3 year old. The school was oversubscribed and they saw the as the crow flies distance factor as a massive plus.

If the noise will be clearly audible, I would move, yes. Firstly you've lost your woodland - well not "yours" but you know what I mean.

Secondly, whether or not noise is an issue depends a lot on your timings. , when I was buying my place, I viewed one that was close to a school and was really surprised how the noise carried.

Although there were specific concentration times of noise, I thought they were numerous. So 1) before morning registration 2) lunchtime 3) leaving time 4) any evening events/matches etc

I didn't realise how much the noise carried till I actually went to view the flat. It didn't look that geographically close to it, otherwise I would not have gone to view initially.

The only caveat is, with all kinds of green space being sacrificed now, you would have to find somewhere that it either belonged to you or had a very high likelihood of being kept (there can be all kinds of reasons that does or doesn't happen these days).

the extra £200k is up to you. Maybe wait and see how it goes? Noise is really odd in the way it travels, I find. But I do understand why you've immeidately balked at this - it's harsh.

Thanks everyone

DH and I can't have children and we really love it here as it is. It's so peaceful and we often hear and see bats, owls, deer and badgers. I should imagine a lot of those will relocate when all the trees are felled. i just feel sad that it will all change.

i do take on board what you are all saying but it's just a very emotive subject for me.

Might some of the trees stay? If bats are living there won't that mean that they can't be chopped down?

Same thing is happening here except a small parcel of land we have managed to get a preservation order on, owls, foxes etc and grand old trees.
Are any of the trees, animals etc protected? That would be worth looking at. Newts are a good thing to look for as the whole woodland by my Mothers was refused after the plans etc had been approved as they found a tiny pond with adorable newts that are protected (pond is the size of a sofa!)
I know that we were going to move, simpley because schools are noisy!

OP that does sound a major change. I've never seen a bat or badger. What a lovely place to live, sorry this is happening.