Schools Set to Clear Final Hurdle

The final hurdle to building a new secondary school and special school in Keighley looks set to be cleared.

Bradford Council wants to build a two-school campus on the site of Greenhead High School, Utley, which would accommodate staff and pupils from the existing secondary school and up to 100 pupils from special schools across Bradford.

Keighley area planning panel will be advised to back the scheme, which already has outline planning approval, when it meets on Thursday.

The schools would be built on land classed as urban green space and recreational open space, which means councillors need to consider further these issues.

But a report to the committee says: “The urban green space will be relocated rather than lost and the openness of the area as a whole will be retained.”

It adds that the proposed development would provide alternative recreational space through more and better quality playing field and indoor and outdoor sport provision.

Where appropriate, the two schools would share facilities, which would include a newly resurfaced running track, cricket square, two football pitches, rugby pitch, multi-use games courts and synthetic floodlit pitch for hockey and football.

Indoor facilities would include a five-court sports hall, gym, fitness room, dance room and hydrotherapy pool plus physiotherapy facilities including rebound therapy.

Work is expected to start on the new schools in the autumn

It has not yet been decided which schools, apart from Braithwaite Special School in Keighley, would be moved to the new special school, which would be called Beechcliffe.

Concerns have been raised about a rise in traffic and congestion, adequate parking provision and the impact of the proposed development on people living next to the schools. Residents have also raised concerns about pedestrian safety and the hours of use for the outdoor sports facilities alongside potential noise and light pollution.

But the report says: “The proposal has been assessed in relation to its impact on the local environment, neighbouring residents and highway safety. Consideration has also been given to how the development meets the needs of people with disabilities and provides security by designing out crime.

“It is considered that the design and layout take into account the needs of users of the facilities and the local environment in which it is to be located without undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance.”

The new schools are expected to be open to pupils in 2010 and Greenhead High School pupils would remain on site while building work was completed.

The two new schools are part of a Pounds 200m plan to rebuild four secondary schools and create eight new special schools in Bradford under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Bradford Council is expected to be granted cash for the scheme towards the end of the summer. Bradford was chosen as a pathfinder authority for a BSF project that will see Pounds 400m spent rebuilding almost every secondary school in the district over 10 years.

New secondary school buildings are already under construction at Salt Grammar in Baildon, Tong School and Buttershaw High in Bradford, which is due to be completed by September. The authority also plans to rebuild Grange Technology College and Hanson School in Bradford and replace the majority of buildings at Beckfoot School, Bingley, by 2010 as part of the second phase, which will see each of the secondary schools have a co-located secondary special school.

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