The King’s School in Grantham submits planning application to remove tree after teenager was hit by car

A school has submitted an application to cut down a tree following a serious accident earlier this year.

The King’s School in Grantham has applied to South Kesteven District Council to remove a sycamore tree and its roots in its grounds so it is safer for pupils when they enter and leave the school.

The application comes after a teenage boy was knocked down outside the school in March.

Following the accident, school representatives met with Lincolnshire County Council and SKDC to move pedestrian gates to the other side of the bus shelter where the pupils are picked up. This would require removing the sycamore tree.

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The application states: “Earlier this year we had a very serious accident outside school involving a student from this school.

“A subsequent meeting with LCC (Lincolnshire County Council) highways, the road safety partnership and SKDC concluded that the best solution to the problem of students running across the road behind where the buses sit to pick up students at the end of the day was to move the double pedestrian gates to the other side of the bus shelter.

“This would allow the buses to pull further down the road and therefore the rear of the bus would be away from the pedestrian crossing.

“To do this, we need to remove one tree as it falls directly where the students will line up for the bus.

“There are many surface roots to the tree which prevent us from paving around the tree. “There are several other trees along that boundary.”

The school has been approached for a comment.