FURIOUS residents are worried a planned expansion of a Halesowen primary school will add to chronic traffic problems around the site.

Newfield Park Primary School has applied to build a dining hall and seven new classrooms to cater for a proposed influx of new 60 new pupils.

However, residents believe Whittingham Road cannot cope with more traffic as there is gridlock most mornings due to the school and neighbouring Halesowen College.

Whittingham Road resident Martin Trentham has objected to the development.

He said: "The impact on local residents does not appear to have been taken into account.

"Whittingham Road is a complete nightmare in the morning and evenings because of the college and the school, recent extensions at the college has caused significant traffic issues."

He said: "The road can no longer support two way traffic with the current parking provisions, cars are mounting the pavement and there will be accident due to the close proximity to school children, this is an everyday occurrence.

"The extra traffic will really make the situation very dangerous."

Fellow Whittingham Road resident Nick Priest has also objected to the planning application, along with residents from Greenbush Drive and Woodridge Road.

He said: "Whittingham Road is busy enough as it is without more idiotic school run mothers thinking their children are the most important thing in the world.

"They all park without a moment's notice for any of the residents on the street and I'm fed up of them blocking my driveway because generation snowflake children seemingly cannot walk anywhere."

Several residents have also complained the traffic survey undertaken by Banners Gate Transportation Ltd does not reflect the volume of traffic they see every school day.

As part of the extension there will be a new 18 space car park for staff and visitors and a drop off area built on adjacent land to the school.

The Highway Authority also flagged up traffic problems.

A spokesman said: "There are significant traffic issues currently in Whittingham Road.

"The scenario at school opening and closing times is a combination of narrow roads, on footway parking by parents and college parking, blocked footways, constant stream of coaches to the college, blocked roads, driving on footways, mixed with many vulnerable road users and obviously children of junior school age."

However, the Banners Gate Transportation plan concluded: "It is our view that traffic generated by the planned expansion to the school, with mitigation measures, would not adversely affect the operation of the highway network in the vicinity of the site.

"That there are no sustainable highway reasons why planning permission should be withheld for the proposals to improve Newfield Park Primary School."