Temporary school to be built as construction of new Telford primary is delayed
A temporary two-storey school building will soon be built in Telford now that plans to open a new primary school have been pushed back to next year.
Children starting at the new Thomas Telford Primary Free School in Priorslee will begin their education in a temporary two-storey building this September.
The new, permanent school was anticipated to open at the start of this upcoming academic year but bosses have confirmed it will not be delivered in time.
It's now anticipated the £4.75m school, which sits in the centre of a 1,100-home development currently under construction, will open in 2026.
In order to meet the "significant and urgent need" for primary school places in Telford, the Department of Education requested the use of temporary classrooms earlier this year, and the plans have now been approved.
Director of Education and Skills at Telford & Wrekin Council, Simon Wellman, said that delaying the opening of the new school by another year was "not an option" due to additional places being "urgently needed".
Other options were considered, such as using other school sites, but Mr Wellman said this was "ultimately ruled out" as the extra accommodation would have a "substantial negative impact on education delivery for both schools".
He added: "Any other school site would also mean increased journey times and travel costs to families.
"Sites not for education use were also considered, however, it was unlikely that the necessary planning consents would have been obtained within programme constraints."
The temporary building, which will be located on the car park of the new school, should accommodate 150 pupils and 17 full-time staff across 542 square metres of floor space.
The facility will provide eight classrooms, along with toilets, group rooms and staff offices.
Hardstanding multi-use games areas are also planned to be constructed prior to the occupation of the temporary buildings to ensure there is "sufficient play space for pupils" while they are in the temporary classrooms.
A playing field for the permanent school is also planned, but the document state this would not be completed in time for the temporary school building.
The Thomas Telford Trust has said it considers the temporary provision to be "sufficient" and it would be able to access and utilise existing provision at other schools within its control, including nearby Redhill Primary Academy, should the need arise.
Giving the plans the green light, Telford & Wrekin Council planning officers admitted the situation was "not ideal" but said the Department for Education "consider the proposal put forward to be the only feasible option".
