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Proposals to demolish and rebuild Wellfield Academy have been approved.
The Leyland high school is to be redeveloped thanks to the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme, with the existing buildings remaining in use until the new ones are completed.
Once complete, the proposal will result in a new, fully accessible and eco-friendly school along with reconfigured sports facilities and car parking.
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Designed to be have net-zero usage, the school will have solar panels and heat pumps; be built using timber frames, use natural light throughout to reduce the need for artificial lighting, and take advantage of thermal technology to minimise the need for heating in winter, while staying cool in summer
Wellfield, which is part of the Endeavour Learning Trust, is aiming for construction of the new building to begin in spring next year and for it to be in use from autumn 2027. The new school will feature two new buildings, with the sports hall block and the outdoor sports courts staying as they are now.
A major hurdle was passed on Tuesday (December 9) when South Ribble Borough Council’s planning committee granted permission for the redevelopment.
Jamie Lewis, headteacher at Wellfield Academy, commented after the application had been approved, said: “This is an excellent milestone as we begin our preparations for construction to begin. The students of Wellfield deserve nothing but the best, and this is what our new building will allow us to deliver.
“Our new site will be transformative and we look forward to welcoming pupils and our local community into our new site as soon as possible.”
David Clayton, CEO of the Endeavour Learning Trust, said: “I’m so pleased that our application for a new school on the Wellfield Academy site has now been officially accepted.
“Using our collective expertise and abilities across Endeavour Learning Trust, the new Wellfield Academy will be a leading education provider in the Northwest, ensuring our community benefits from the very best.”
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