RESIDENTS living near the site of a proposed new school in Cowley have raised concerns about potential traffic problems.

The Tyndale Community School has been given Government backing and is hoping to open at the former Lord Nuffield Club in Barracks Lane in September 2013.

Part of the site, unused for the past three years, would also be developed for housing.

Public consultation meetings are being held this month and next to discuss the proposal.

Nearly 100 people came to a meeting at the club on Tuesday to meet the developers, the team behind the school and to find out more.

Among them was Georgina Timbs, who lives in Normandy Crescent and is a school secretary at St Francis Primary School in Horspath Road.

She said: “I disagree with the school being put there because I don’t think it’s the right site and I definitely disagree with housing being built because it’s overbuilt anyway.”

She described existing traffic problems on Hollow Way, the main road which Barracks Lane adjoins, as “a nightmare” and said she would rather see money spent on expanding the oversubscribed local schools.

The school is being proposed by Chapel Street Community Schools Trust, with Oxford Community Church part of the group behind the plans.

Chairman of governors Steve Jones said there was no one consensus in favour or against the planned school at the meeting.

He said: “We heard quite a range of different views, different concerns and actually quite a lot of excitement about the building, which is currently unused so some residents were glad to see it getting used and being redeveloped as a vibrant community hub.

“The thing that came out loud and clear was concern about traffic which we already knew was something we would need to pay really close attention to so that wasn’t a surprise.”

Another meeting is set to be held at the club before Christmas about specifics relating to the site, while further meetings are planned about the education aspects of the proposal.

They will be held at Oxford Spires Academy, Glanville Road, on Friday, November 23 and Thursday, December 6 at 7.30pm.