£20m plan to rebuild and expand city school

COUNCIL BOSSES have revealed plans to completely rebuild a school in Leeds as part of a revamp costing in excess of £20m.

Early proposals for the complete overhaul of Benton Park Secondary School, in Rawdon, were unveiled yesterday by Leeds City Council ahead of an executive committee meeting next week.

Under the plans, the school would be rebuilt as part of an expansion that could eventually increase the number of students from 1,225 to 1,500.

Speaking about the proposals, Coun Jonathan Pryor, the council’s executive member for learning, skills and employment, said: “This is a rebuild and expansion. Between £20m and £25m is the general price for a high school.

“For Benton Park we are trying to use money from a number of different pots. It shows that we as a council, when we can build things, and when we are allowed to, we can do a good job and get it done quickly.”

Although detailed plans for are not yet available, a consultation document released last summer stated that the council wanted to expand from 245 to 300 year seven pupils by 2021, eventually increasing the school’s total capacity by more than 250 pupils.

Phil Mellen, the council’s deputy director of education, said: “It will be great news for that school, and also for us as a council. With the limited resources we have, we want to target them where they are most needed.

“We can’t just open new schools anymore, we either have to expand existing stock or work with the regional schools commissioner around free schools. We have to think strategically. We can’t afford to spend £60m a year on new schools because the money simply isn’t there.”

The plans will be discussed by the council’s executive committee on Wednesday February 13.