A Catholic School in Twickenham is set for expansion as Richmond’s planning committee unanimously approved proposals despite concerns from residents over traffic and loss of light.

Richard Reynolds School in Clifden Road, which caters for 1,260 primary and secondary pupils, will have a three-storey L-shaped extension added to the existing main building as well as a two-storey extension to the existing science block and additional games facilities.

David Gowans of Clifden Road raised an objection to the plans due to fears additional pupils and staff will increase traffic in the area.

He said: “The large number of pupils and staff making car journeys to the site will cause major disruption to surrounding roads. With an estimated 11 per cent of pupils travelling to school by car, this will be at least an additional 272 car journeys per day.”

Trevor Davis, who lives in Clifden Road opposite the school, raised concerns at the meeting on Wednesday evening about the impact the school’s extension will have on his privacy.

He said: “My house will be badly overshadowed by the proposed height of the new development and we will lose light and suffer from loss of privacy.”

Richard Reynolds parent governor Eddie Doyle, who also lives on Clifden Road, said he travelled to and from the school often and there was never a build-up of traffic because of the school.

He said: “Findings in the planning report state that traffic on the road is not related to the school and about 80 per cent of pupils walk to the school.”

Councillor Martin Elengorn, who sits on the planning committee, said the school design was “uninspired” but that was not sufficient grounds to reject the proposal.

He said: “We are now seeing a lower funded approach to education buildings and we are not going to get great buildings and that is a sad reality.

“It [the extension] is going to be problematic at times but that is not enough to turn it down in our very cramped borough.”

All nine members of the planning committee approved the proposals.