SAFETY fears for children on a Worcestershire road which saw a four-year-old killed in collision with a car have led to plans for a school extension being rejected.

Members of Wychavon District Council's development control committee said the proposal by The Grange Pre-Preparatory School, in Claines, for a 16-classroom extension would generate too much traffic on its junction with the A38 and put lives at risk.

In May, the road became the subject of a petition after four-year-old Thomas Drew was in collision with a car half-a-mile from the junction outside Fernhill Heath's Hindlip First School.

The council's highways department had not objected to the application.

Coun Paul Coley said he was already concerned about the safety of the junction at Grange Lane and the A38, adding the extension and extra 250 pupils it would accommodate would make the situation worse.

"I am concerned this will generate much more traffic at the junction, which is already over-burdened," he said.

"The safety of this road junction has been pointed out before and there are many more houses in the area now which generate much more traffic at the junction, which only meets the minimum standards required.

"It would not be safe or right to approve this."

Coun Roy Seabourne told members it would be "immoral" not to question the highways department's findings.

"It could be that highways is wrong, and it's up to us to challenge them," he said.

Coun Tony Miller echoed the councillors' comments, but added he believed the extension was too big and raised concerns about noise intrusion.

Coun John Payne said he opposed to the proposal being on the Green Belt.

The committee rejected the application on the grounds of the extension being on Green Belt land, its design, its size and the traffic implications.