RESIDENTS opposed to the plans to build a new school in Devoran plan a banner waving protest at County Hall next week.

The Concerned Residents' Group has already made its views felt at a number of meetings held in the village and at a county council site meeting last week when members were told to be quiet or leave the meeting.

The group is unhappy at the way plans for the school have been put forward and the general siting of the school off the already busy Devoran Lane. The current plan is the second of two which have been put forward in recent months, the only changes being in access.

The Concerned Residents' Group has now written to the Government Office of the South West demanding that the plan be called in because of what it describes as "discrepancies" concerning the site and local government planning policy.

They will be taking their argument to County Hall on January 21.

Feock parish councillors have already held their own meetings concerning the proposed new school and are not happy with the situation.

Their last meeting was packed with members of the public expressing concern at the way the county council has handled the plans.

The parish council now wants the original plan resubmitted. That would mean the school only going ahead after road improvements have been carried out to the main A39 trunk road. Delays to the long awaited road scheme have already been announced but the county council still wants the school to go ahead meaning the only access to be off Devoran Lane.

The new school, which will provide just one extra classroom over and above the existing Victorian building in the heart of the village, is to be built under the Private Initiative Funding Scheme. Planning permission is needed by the end of March to allow the funding to go ahead although the land has not yet been acquired.

However, residents living in the immediate area remain determined. They claim if school governors kept to their original policy of admitting children from the immediate catchment area there would be no need for a new school.

The current school had almost £1 million spent on it 12 years ago bringing it up to a high standard.

"As there is a drop in the birth rate we cannot see why this application is being made," said Mrs James and others in their letter to the Government.

"Our local children from Devoran village can walk to school, but because 40 per cent come from areas up to 20 miles away which illustrates how popular the present school has become. Unfortunately this increases the volume of traffic entering and leaving the village considerable," they said.

The group has already carried out its own traffic survey showing there had been a history of traffic accidents at the nearby junction.

"We feel the relocation of the school changes the centre of the village and is a catalyst for change and development," said Mrs James.

Carrick planners due to meet last night were also being asked to reject the plan. Members have been told in a report by planning officer Simon Snell, that there were concerns over access, loss of hedgerows and trees, visual impact and a number of other issues.

There has been talk of a new school for Devoran for more than 30 years and at one time, a site at Carnon Downs had been chosen.

Improvements then went ahead at Devoran when the school took over adjacent property owned by the parish church.