New £4.5 million Telford primary school could open by 2016
Work is set to start within weeks on a £4.5 million primary school in Telford – and it could be open by the start of 2016.
Council chiefs hope to get backing to buy the land in Lawley and appoint contractors to get the ball rolling almost straight away at a meeting tomorrow night.
The new, 210-place academy school will be built off Martingale Way in Lawley, an area due to see 3,400 homes built over the next few years. It will have scope to be expanded to house up to 400 pupils in the future.
Planning permission for the school development, which also includes a playing field and a room available for use by community groups, was granted in the summer despite concerns from Lawley and Overdale parish council about increased traffic.
A report prepared by Kathy Swallow, service delivery manager for school organisation services at the council, says there has been a "significant amount of housing growth" in the Lawley area over the past decade.
The report, which will go before councillors at tomorrow night's meeting, adds: "The continuing pace of development within Lawley means that current primary schools will not be sufficient to accommodate the expected growth. It was for this reason that cabinet gave approval to establish a new primary school in Lawley. The proposed freehold site for the school is in the process of being transferred to the council.
"The land has always been set aside for the development of educational facilities and will include new restrictive covenants preventing the property being sold for any other purpose than educational and community use."
A report to the council's cabinet says the preferred sponsor to take on the new academy school is the Schools Co-operative Society. This is awaiting the endorsement of the Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan. The new school is expected to have been completed and be ready to open to pupils in January 2016.
It comes as it was revealed that the number of students in some parts of the county are set to plunge in the coming years and governors are also faced with a projected £7 million funding decrease by 2018. A decision on the new school will be taken at the full council meeting at the Haybridge Restaurant, Telford College of Art and Technology, from 6.30pm tomorrow. The public is welcome to attend.
