Planners have given the green light to build a new school in Efford, Plymouth, which the Council hopes will be key to the area's revival.
The £8.6 million school will replace Highfield and Plym View primary schools and promises young learners new facilities that the council, the school and the Heart of Efford Community Partnership hope will revitalise the area.
The 315-pupil school, to be called High View, will be built on the current Highfield site on Torridge Way. As well as learning spaces there will a sports hall, a performing arts hall, a studio with changing rooms for community use, meeting rooms and a media suite where youngsters can continue their award-winning film making and animation work.
There will be a 36-place nursery on the site, an integral Children's Centre and plenty of space for sports and arts for the community as well as the children.
The plans put before the committee are the result of lots of discussions and activities between the architects, stakeholders such as the Heart of Efford Community Partnership, teachers, parents and children to make sure as many people as possible were involved in shaping the look and feel of the school.
Children formed their own 'design pod' and worked with Plymouth-based architects The Architects Design Group (ADG), who are working on behalf of the contractor Interserve Project Services Limited, which has been appointed to deliver the school by the Council.
They also worked with an artist in residence through Creative Partnerships on such things as the colour scheme and outside play areas for the school.
Councillor Grant Monahan, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Plymouth City Council, said: "A lot of work has gone into getting the designs to this stage - not just from the architects and organisations involved but the children and staff who have helped shape the sort of school it is going to be.
"We want our schools to be at the heart of our neighbourhoods and we are delighted that the young people and their families and friends already feel part of this, before a single brick is even laid!"
The new school is part of the Efford Building Communities Initiative, which has been funded by the South West Regional Development Agency and included a Masterplan for the sustainable development of Efford.
Projects already delivered include the new St Paul's Church and a new library on Efford Lane.
(CD/JM)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
20/11/2024
Construction firm Willmott Dixon has partnered with Westminster City Council on a £36 million project to restore the historic Seymour Centre in Marylebone, a Grade II listed building dating back to the 1930s. The project, procured through the SCF framework, will see the three-storey centre undergo ...
20/11/2024
The Hill Group has commenced work on a new development in Billericay, Essex, which will deliver 179 high-quality homes across a 20-acre site. Designed to blend with Billericay's scenic countryside while addressing the pressing demand for sustainable housing, the project is located on Kennel Lane ...
20/11/2024
Extensive groundwork is underway for a new housing development in Maidstone, where Vistry Group, in partnership with Legal & General Affordable Homes, is set to build 272 properties on the site of the former Tovil Quarry off Farleigh Hill. The project will include 37 affordable homes for low-cost ...
20/11/2024
Stonewater has scooped a new energy efficiency retrofit contract with compliance and energy services provider Correct Contract Services. This work, funded through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2, will include a range of energy-saving upgrades. Measures such as loft ...
20/11/2024
Kier has been appointed by Cambridgeshire County Council to deliver building, mechanical, and electrical maintenance services across the Council's portfolio of 160 corporate buildings. The contract, which began in November 2024, will run until 2027, with the possibility of two one-year extensions ...
20/11/2024
Builders use water for various functions on the job, they utilise this resource for worker hygiene, hydration, concrete batching, grouting, dust suppression, drilling and piling. If companies mismanage this water use, they can increase their environmental impact. When the industry comes ...
20/11/2024
Edmond Shipway has been appointed to a pioneering initiative tackling homelessness in Greater Manchester, providing project management and cost consultancy services on the second phase of Embassy Village. Set to deliver 40 purpose-built homes for men facing homelessness in Manchester, Embassy ...
20/11/2024
West Sussex County Council is inviting residents to share their views on proposed transport improvements at the Hazelwick and Tushmore junctions on the A2011 Crawley Avenue. The proposals aim to make walking, cycling, and public transport more appealing for short journeys. This initiative is part ...
19/11/2024
McLaren Construction has commenced works at the first UK industrial scheme in the East Midlands for a joint venture with Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH and Invesco Real Estate. McLaren will oversee all aspects of construction for the £30 million project located in Shireoaks, Worksop - in the ...
19/11/2024
Pennyfarthing Homes has submitted a planning application for 74 new homes in Fordingbridge as part of its plans to build a neighbourhood of 342 homes on the northern edge of the Hampshire market town. The new development which is part of the wider scheme known as Forde Valley and follows ...