Bid goes in to rebuild school’s classrooms after arson attack
A Halifax primary school left devastated by an arson attack has submitted plans to replace the buildings it lost.
Children at Ash Green PrimarySchoolinMixendenhave been learning in temporary classrooms since the huge fire at the school’s upper site last year.
What was left of the buildingwasunusableandhadtobe demolished for safety reasons.
Nowaplanningapplication had been made to rebuild the four classrooms that were lost.
The new building would be funded by the Department for Education Risk Protection Arrangementandwouldconnect to the existing school, with improved
facilities. It includes bigger classrooms, an all-yearround outdoor play and games area, and solar panels and air source heat pumps to enable the building to generate its own energy.
Mungo Sheppard, headteacher
of Ash Green Primary School, said: “It’s been a long road to recovery thus far, and we still have a long way to go, but we are thrilled with the new design to rebuild the section of school we lost so devastatingly last February.
"The resilience of our school community has been immense and this has been boosted by fantastic support from so many places.
“We have got through winter in our temporary accommodation and we all now look
forward to work that is expected to commence at the end of summer to see our new build take shape.
"I would like to thank the DfE and Calderdale Council for all the collegiate work with school to get to this point and in anticipation of the hard work to come next.”
Councillor Adam Wilkinson, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services, added: “I am proud of the resilience of pupils, staff and the community in bouncing back from the devastating fire at Ash Green, and the kindness of all the local people who pulled together to help with the clean-up.
“We are ambitious for Calderdale’s children and young people,andknowtheydeserve a great learning environment to help them achieve their best.”
A decision on the planning application decision is expected this spring. Subject to approval, construction of the new-build would be due to start in September.