Plans for a village school expansion have been put on hold by councillors after the proposed new building was likened to a “monstrous box”.

Wye Free School opened in September 2013 at the Kempe Centre in Olantigh Road in the village, and wants to expand the school roll to 450 secondary school pupils and 150 sixth form places.

The United Learning group put in plans for a new teaching block in September last year, and includes 12 classrooms, a school hall, a music rooms and practice rooms and a new outdoor playground and parking.

A decision on the plans was delayed to await the outcome of the Wye Neighbourhood Plan and the forthcoming village masterplan, which is expected in July.

The plans were discussed before Ashford Borough Council’s planning committee last night (Wednesday, May 17), where the designs were criticised and the councillors voted to defer the decision for three months to allow the school to come up with something better.

Parent and Olantigh Road resident Julie Dod spoke against the plans. She fears for children’s safety when coaches are turning outside the new school buildings on the site.

She also said the new building would be overbearing, visible both inside and outside the village, and would detract from the historic church.

Wye with Hinxhill Parish Council representative Tony Shoults also criticised the plans, raising fears about the "hazardous and impractical" tandem parking already in Olantigh Road.

He said the school should have waited for the village masterplan and said the building’s design was “absurdly inappropriate”.

But the school’s chair of governors Margaret Williams, who has also lived in Wye for 40 years, said the school has worked in consultation with the parish council and borough council for several years, and said the scheme enjoyed “strong support”.

She said: “We are extremely proud of the school we have created. Parents are delighted with the education that their children receive, and the school is greatly oversubscribed.

“Some of the pupils have been in temporary accommodation since they joined the school, and they are looking forward to completing their education in an established, permanent school.”

Wye’s borough councillor Noel Ovenden, who is a member of the committee, abstained to vote, but said the new building sits in the heart of the North Downs area of outstanding natural beauty.

He said: “I was expecting an inspiring design. I wanted to see some variation with green roofs and innovation. I was left disappointed. Instead we are presented with a monstrous and boring box.”

Cllr Paul Clokie disagreed, and said the council owed a duty to ensure that pupils can learn in a completed building rather than temporary classrooms.

He said: “It’s not the most attractive building in the world to some people, but in a way it is quite attractive. It seems to fit in well with the landscape, and after landscaping work it would be seen to be highly acceptable.

“What worries me is the continual barrage of people saying ‘let’s put it off, let’s not make a decision’, but all we are really hearing is people who objected to the idea that the school is in the village and who want it to go away.”

But councillors voted to defer the planning application and to refer the school to the Design Panel.

Cllr Graham Galpin said: "Initially I thought that this building was visually intrusive. Whether or not we are passing a school is irrelevant. The question is whether this is an appropriate plan for this site."

Cllr Paul Bartlett, who worked to improve the plans for the new Finberry School, added: "My recollection is that at Finberry they turned it around quickly.

"If there is willingness from the applicant, that would be to the benefit of this application, and maybe in three month's time we will see a much better application before us."