Springfield school rebuild gets council approval ushering a brand new era for pupils

Councillors today gave the green light to demolish the existing buildings on Central Road and construct a new three-storey school.

The scheme, put forward by Keir Construction Limited, aims to deliver a 1,200-place secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16.

The new school will be built on the current playing fields, with the existing buildings remaining in use during construction. Once the new building is occupied, the old school will be demolished and the site converted into a replacement playing field.

Capacity will increase by 65 pupils. The Department for Education will fund the project, with additional support from the De Curci Trust.

Facilities will include a multi-use games area with six courts, a sensory garden, new dining spaces, and a horticulture and ecology garden.

Inside, the school will provide 26 classrooms, nine science labs, four IT suites, special educational needs spaces, a sports hall, fitness suite and rooms for food, design technology, art, photography, music and drama.

Planning agent Ben Christian of Vail Williams LLP told the committee the plans represent a “significant enhancement” to local education and bring “a wealth of benefits for the public” such as sport and leisure facilities.

He added the new layout had been designed to minimise impact on neighbours and improve local amenity “when compared to the existing arrangement”.

Twenty objections were submitted, with residents raising concerns about flood risk, traffic on Grove Road and noise from the site.

However, both the Lead Local Flood Authority and Coastal Partners raised no objections. Officers noted that the small rise in pupil numbers meant any increase in traffic would not be “severe”.

A mitigation strategy addressing disturbance to neighbours must be signed off by the council before work begins.

Councillor Hugh Mason, cabinet member for planning policy, recalled visiting Springfield around two decades ago when it already looked “tired” and “has deteriorated since”.

He said it is a “much needed” and “well thought through proposal” before members approved he application unanimously.

Residents can view the plans in detail on the council’s planning portal website using the reference 25/00447/FUL.