Plans to increase height of new teaching block at Kinver academy approved by South Staffordshire Council

"The building will be predominantly one-storey, with the main hall being two storeys in height due to this space requiring a double height design in the DfE [Department for Education] specification. The new proposed building will include classrooms, group rooms, staff facilities, office space and main hall. Externally, the school building will be surrounded by hard informal areas for play."

The school added: "A hard PE area is proposed to the east of the new school block, with a soft PE area proposed to the north of the site once the existing building has been demolished. Hard informal and soft informal play spaces and a forest school area are proposed on the site of the existing hardstanding. Existing pedestrian and vehicular access arrangements will remain as existing."

The school will be able to increase the number of pupils after the new development is finished.

The school added: "There are also no uplift in pupil or staff numbers proposed as part of the proposals. It is proposed that the school will be net-zero carbon in operation and will include sustainability features such as PV panels and ground source heat pumps."

South Staffordshire Council has approved the planning application and the school has now applied to add a third floor to the main building.

The application proposes "the addition of a third-storey extension to house a roof access staircase in order to provide access for maintenance purposes".

"The proposal involves the introduction of a dedicated room with a door to provide direct access to the high-level hall roof, replacing the current arrangement that requires the use of a ladder. The addition of this room would extend approximately 2.5 metres above the existing higher roof level."

The bricks which were going to be used in construction of the building have been discontinued, so architects have informed the council the new brick will be black.

Imogen Hopkin, senior planning officer at South Staffordshire Council, approved the school's application. She said on Tuesday: "I can confirm that the details provided are acceptable as a non-material amendment to application."

Brindley Heath Academy was created in 2019 and was previously Brindley Heath Primary and Junior School. The academy is part of the Coseley-based Manor Multi-Academy Trust which has nine schools in the Midlands.

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