Not every project is glamorous, but that does not mean it is not important. We have recently received planning permission for a new school car park for the Affinity Learning Partnership. On paper, that might not sound especially newsworthy. But for a busy school, it can make a huge difference.

Car parking is often overlooked when schools are expanded or extended. Sometimes, even with the best intentions, the number of spaces provided simply does not reflect how a school actually operates day to day.

In this case, the existing site has 84 parking spaces. The school currently needs 110 spaces for permanent teaching staff, plus a further 6 spaces each day for catering staff. During exam periods, which run for around 9 to 10 weeks each year, a further 12 spaces are needed for exam invigilators, with that number likely to increase in the future. On a daily basis, this currently results in double and sometimes even triple parking.

These are not theoretical figures. They reflect the school’s real operational demand.

The existing car park is constrained by surrounding buildings, so expansion in its current location is not possible. The approved proposal will provide a further 18 spaces south of the main school buildings.

While the additional spaces will not fully meet the total demand needed, the proposal represents a carefully considered balance between supporting the operational needs of the school and limiting encroachment onto the playing fields.

The application itself was also far from straightforward. As the proposal involved development on an area of playing field, consultation with Sport England was required. We also needed to carefully consider protected species, including badgers, alongside Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, which now form an almost constant part of planning applications.

Sometimes, success is not about the most eye catching project. It is about solving practical problems that help schools function better every single day.