Green light for major plans for Wolverhampton primary school
The major refurbishment of an historic Wolverhampton school which includes plans for a new primary school and sports hall have been given the green light.
Wolverhampton Council has approved a planning application for a new 630-space primary school at The Royal School in Penn Road, Wolverhampton.
The work also includes a two-storey extension to the main Grade II-listed school building, a new sports hall, 104-space car park, a bigger design and technology (DT) block and refurbished dormitories.
New football pitches, an all-weather cricket wicket and an athletics track would all be built on the former St Luke’s Primary School site on the opposite side of Penn Road.
The work would be carried out in phases, the council’s decision notice said, with the new sports hall the first to be built.
Construction is expected to be completed by September 2028.
A report outlining the decision said: “The proposal will result in some demolition of listed buildings, however, the works proposed will ensure the continued and long-term use of the secondary school. The proposed new additions and alternations to the listed buildings are sympathetic and will not cause any adverse impacts to the Penn Road (Graiseley) Conservation Area.
“The development would result in the loss of some trees and the existing playing field, however, the proposal includes replacement trees and planting and a replacement sports pitch.”
An old plant room on the secondary school site would be demolished for new stairs as part of work to improve the building’s layout. The secondary school would also be refurbished and reordered with its dormitories for boarders also revamped.
Temporary classrooms would also be built for pupils during the phased refurbishment of the secondary school.
The application said the existing 630-space primary school was “no longer an optimal learning experience” and needed replacing.
Two year groups are currently being taught in temporary classrooms with others housed on the school’s car park after the current classrooms were deemed “small and in poor repair.”
The all-through school provides for up to 1,480 pupils, including primary, secondary and sixth form, and has up to 100 boarding places.
A statement included with the application said: “The vision for the redevelopment is to provide a connected campus that has wellbeing at the forefront, reflected within both the building design and layout.
“The proposals will provide new high quality teaching, sports and recreation spaces that will be energy efficient, incorporate modern technology, and support the school’s curriculum and pupil boarding requirements. The development is proposed to be undertaken in phases to ensure teaching can be maintained throughout the programme.
“The new playing field area proposed within the St Luke’s site will be delivered in the first phase, as required by Sport England, prior to the building of the new primary school.”
The private Royal School scrapped its £29,000-a-year fees in 2015, becoming one of then Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘free’ state schools. The decision saw pupil numbers increase from around 530 to nearly 1,200.
St Luke’s Primary School was demolished several years ago and the site has been empty since. It had been earmarked for nearly 100 homes several years ago but the move was eventually scrapped with surrounding roads deemed unsuitable.
