Charlotte Church's 20-pupil home school plan approved

Charlotte Church wants to open a school with "a healthy disregard for rules and specifications"

Singer Charlotte Church has been given the green light to open a school for 20 children at her home.

Vale of Glamorgan Council's planning committee approved a planning application for the venture for youngsters aged nine to 11.

The school is part of the vocalist's Awen Project, which she hopes will grow to set up other independent schools.

Cardiff-born Ms Church previously said the faculty was for children struggling in mainstream education.

Councillors were told the school in Twyncyn, Dinas Powys, opened two months ago and that the application was retrospective.

One resident objected, claiming it was an "inappropriate development" as the street "wasn't a proper site for a school".

The woman said she had lived on the street since 1952 and was concerned about the children's well-being.

"The applicant has no educational background or track record in managing a school," she said.

Charlotte Church was once known as the "voice of an angel" and sang across the world

Reading Agricultural Consultants is behind the development.

The firm's Ieuan Williams told councillors the school was a "groundbreaking education initiative".

"It's the first of its kind in the world and garnered interest of education professionals," he said.

The council was told the school would only be based at the singer's home for the first year and a condition of the application was the site would stop being used by the end of July 2020.

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Next year, Ms Church plans to have a wider pupil age range and move to larger site - with five having been shortlisted.

Councillors at a site meeting were shown plans for parents to park at a nearby bowls club to lesson the impact of traffic upon neighbours.

Children could then be walked in line to the school, they were told.

Councillor Andy Robertson said the road was unsuitable for children to walk along because of the danger of large vehicles.

He said the lack of lighting and a dangerous bend meant it was unsuitable.

Council officers said the highways department raised no objections and councillors approved the application.