Massive plans for town school
TWO NEW BLOCKS WOULD REPLACE 1950S BUILDINGS
The new blocks provide facilities that can be used by both the school and the wider community. Council report
THE biggest transformation in the history of a Bedworth secondary school is on the cards with plans for a new state-of-theart teaching building and sports block.
It is being proposed that the existing 1950s eastern teaching blocks at Nicholas Chamberlaine School are demolished to be replaced by a new three-storey teaching block in the centre of existing buildings.
There are also plans for a new single-storey sports block, boasting changing facilities and PE studio, alongside existing sports hall.
The major make-over for the Bulkington Road-based place of learning have been on the cards for some months but the plans have now been officially submitted to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.
Contained within the planning application are 56 separate documents which explain, in detail, the proposals for the works.
“It comprises two separate blocks, the Teaching Block and the Sports Block,” the document states. “The Teaching Block includes teaching spaces, technical rooms, science classrooms, offices and meeting spaces, as well as a main hall and a dining area. The Sports Block comprises a dry sports hall, activity/fitness studios and changing facilities.”
It is understood that a condition survey determined that the current sprawling 1950s buildings would require major investment to refurbish and maintain in their current form. It was decided that demolishing the old buildings and building a new block would be better value for money.
“The new blocks provide facilities that can be used by both the school and the wider community, including key facilities that will enhance the use of outdoor PE areas,” the report says.
“The wider school built estate comprises five further blocks of varying scale and age which are not part of the proposed development: science teaching block, small vocational studies block housed behind the largest retained teaching block, sixth form and a caretaker’s property. The school benefits from good existing external sports provision, including a MUGA (multi-use games area) court and extensive playing fields. Building on the chosen site areas allows the new blocks to optimise existing site infrastructure, and to relate well to other teaching blocks and external sports provision on completion. The locations also allow segregation of the development within the wider site at each phase of construction, ensuring the school can remain in operation during construction with minimum disruption.” Proposals for the school, which also has a sixth form, enrols 1,100 pupils and provides 93 sixth form places, have been developed for the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) under the government’s Priority School Building Programme: Phase 2. “The development does not result in any changes to the existing staff/pupil capacity of the school, on-site parking provision for cars or cycles, on-site minibus turning/drop-off area, or site access from the public highway,” the report added.
“The school benefits from generous playing fields, and offers a wide range of sports activities as part of curriculum teaching and an extensive extra-curricular programme. All schools in the Trust participate in an annual sports festival, and Nicholas Chamberlaine School is proposed to become a future sports hub for all Trust schools to use.
“The new sports block and refurbishment of the existing sports hall will enhance sports provision for both the school and community users.
“Out-of-hours community use of the playing fields and indoor sports facilities is well established, for both adult and youth groups. Development is concentrated within the existing built-up area of the site, avoiding loss of sports pitches.”
Planning officers at the Town Hall are now looking at the detailed plans and a target decision date has been set for May 28.
In the meantime, a public consultation is underway and people can pass on their comments online by logging on to www. nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk and search for planning application number 035431.