DESPITE vast criticism, Haringey Council has gone ahead with plans to develop new purpose-built accommodation for Blanche Neville Special School.

Councillors decided last week to relocate the school and its administrative and resources centre from its current location in Williams Grove, Wood Green, to a new building to be built on the Fortismere School site in Muswell Hill.

Coppetts Residents Association opposed the development on the grounds that the new school would increase traffic in Burlington Road, a small cul de sac leading to the site. It would also raise noise levels for residents and 'dilute the character' of the local area as 66 mature trees would have to be chopped down to make way for the development.

Jane Cottave, who is a member of the residents association and lives in Burlington Road, said: 'We are very disappointed that the council is not prepared to look at other sites.

'We are concerned about the traffic going through our road and about the loss of trees. We would like to see Blanche Neville School in a new, less decapitated building but there are alternatives to this scheme.'

Critisism of the development also came from the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).

Spokeswoman Cynthia Jenkins of the CPRE North London District Group said: 'We strongly object to this loss of open land, particularly as we can see no justifiction for not redeveloping the existing Blanche Neville site.'

At Friday's meeting of the special planning applications sub-committee the council promised to protect remaining trees and plant new ones.

It also tried to quell residents' fears about increased traffic in Burlington Road by assuring them that the majority of staff would use the school's main entrance on Creighton Road.

Liberal Democrat Councillor, Julia Glenn condemned the councils handling of the planning application for failing to consult residents adequately: 'Any major new developments should reduce negative impact on residents and safeguard the interests of the wider community.

'This should be done at an early stage of the process, not through 'concessions' made at the last minute,' she said.