Plans unveiled for £45m Walsall free school
BAM Construction has lodged proposals for a 1,000-pupil secondary school on the old Reedswood municipal golf course in Walsall.
In December last year, the government confirmed that the council-owned former leisure site, which closed down in 2007, would be one of 16 locations selected nationally for a free schools pilot project.
Walsall Council’s cabinet took a decision in February to stump up £1m towards the estimated £5m remediation costs for the site, which has a long history of heavy industry.
A former colliery, Walsall B Power Station operated at the 80-acre Birchills site from 1949. The site was switched off in 1982 after being deemed too inefficient, and lay dormant for five years before it was demolished in 1987.
A government-backed clean up began in October 1993, at a cost of around £8m. A retail park now occupies part of the site, to the north of where the planned school building could be built.
BAM, on behalf of the Department for Education, plans to develop around 13 acres of the site as a secondary school and sixth form with outdoor sports facilities.
The school’s main building would be built on the site of three former cooling towers, which were demolished along with the rest of Walsall B Power Station in 1987. Credit: BAM Design
The project is being funded through the DfE’s capital funding programme, which it says is a significant investment in the local area to help address an identified shortfall of secondary school places.
Estimated build costs were placed at £45m in papers put before Walsall Council’s cabinet in February. If approved, the school could be open as quickly as next year, with full completion for the building planned ahead of the September 2028 intake.
“The vision for the site is to create a well-designed, functional educational establishment that delivers a safe and inspiring environment that empowers every student to unlock both their academic and personal potential,” said a planning statement provided with the proposals.
“It will also be an environment that supports and inspires exceptional teachers, leaders and professional staff to continue to learn and develop in their careers.
A total of 750 secondary school places would be provided by the school, set to be run by the Windsor Academy Trust, with a further 200 sixth form places also planned. A further 24 places would be available to support students with special education needs.
Architects for the scheme are BAM Design, with planning consultancy provided by Define.
The project team includes Dally Henderson(landscape architecture), Middlemarch Environmental (ecology), LBH GEO Consulting Engineers (Geotechnical), SRL (Accoustics and air quality). BAM Construction are the principle contractors.
Documents and plans relating to the application can be found at Walsall Council’s planning portal using reference: 26/0700
