Campaign group launched to stop Walsall school development - here’s why

A new campaign group has launched in Walsall made up of residents opposing a new school development.

Keep Reedswood Green – Say No to School Development Site had their first meeting earlier this month which was attended by around 100 people.

The group, headed by Victoria Miller, has major concerns about the £50million project being delivered by the Department for Education.

It involves the development of a three-storey school building and outdoor sports pitches, creating over 1,000 places for students aged 11 to 18.

Over 13 acres of woodland at Reedswood Park will need to be flattened to make way for the school, and access to the facility will be gained from Reedswood Lane.

Victoria stressed the group is not opposed to a school being built in Walsall, but the location of it chosen by the department.

Main concerns raised by residents include the environmental damage arising from the loss of woodland, and the access route along the already congested Reedswood Lane.

Victoria said: “We live on the new Lockside Estate, which backs onto the park. You only have to walk through there to hear the wildlife and the birds singing. The thought of that being replaced with concrete didn’t sit right.

“It’s usually dark and home to bats and badgers, but it will become a flood-lit concrete jungle.

“The general consensus, from speaking with residents at the meeting, is that they’re really concerned about losing their green space because it’s so widely used and valued.

“It’s also the impact on the traffic, if you look at the plan, Reedswood Lane is the main entrance.

“I don’t think the residents are saying ‘no, we don’t want a school’, it’s more about location chosen.

“There’s a lot of noise about why it has to be a new building site. You only have to drive around Walsall to see how many brownfield sites there are.

“There’s a lot of empty buildings and empty land. It feels very unfair.”

The DfE has refused to say whether it will look at alternative sites for the new free school after overwhelming opposition at a recent drop-in event it hosted.

Victoria said: “It doesn’t sit right with me, there’s other sites that are standing empty. Other land that isn’t filled with trees and nature, birds, and has better access. As much as I tried to hear in the consultation, I can’t get on board with the plans.

“At the end of the day there’s a community there that wants to be heard and decisions must be made with us. We want input on this.”

The DfE has been approached for statement.