Calls for new school to be built to cope with Shrewsbury housing boom

The call came as the town prepares for an influx of children who will arrive when hundreds of new homes are built.

Councillor Roger Evans said many of the schools in the south of the town were already over capacity. He said there was about 1,000 new-build homes in the pipeline and not enough school places.

The authority today said it was considering the need for a new school.

Councillor Evans said: “That could be years away though. Where are all of these children going to go to school in the meantime? It is of great concern to me and I have raised it at numerous committees. There seems to be too much complacency.

“There is already a pressure for school places and this is going to increase greatly over the next two to three years when an influx of young people come to live in Shrewsbury.”

In February this year, Shropshire Council granted planning permission for more than 600 homes at Weir Hill and it is currently deciding whether to allow 228 homes to be built at Copthorne Barracks.

Increased demand

But according to Councillor Evans, who is a school governor, Meole Brace, Priory and Belvidere are over capacity.

He said: “Shropshire Council is still fiddling around just wondering what to do. These children should be able to get the education they deserve.”

Councillor Nick Bardsley, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said the authority was aware of the issue. “To date, the increased demand for school places linked to housing developments has been neither significant nor imminent.

“However, pupil growth forecasts are evidencing that this spare capacity is being taken up and that there will be a need to expand provision. There is a bulge in secondary-aged pupil numbers forecast for the first part of the next decade, for which provision will need to be considered.”