Education bosses push for site change on Bannerdale academy

In February the city council gave the go-ahead to the commissioning of a new secondary school - an academy - on the former Bannerdale Centre site off Carterknowle Road.

The initial plans envisaged building the school on the centre’s former car park.

However, education bosses now want to put up the school on an area of open space on the western side of the site’s access road.

The car park would be kept, while the former Bannerdale centre site itself is earmarked for a housing development.

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet committee next Wednesday says: “The proposal to create the school buildings on the western side of the access road is the option most likely to meet the overall vision for the school and the site.

“It allows for the best possible layout and design for the school buildings; it ensures that capital is targeted at the school building and site, rather than ameliorating the ground conditions; it allows a design that is sympathetic to the park setting and supports easy access to the pitches for both the school and community; and, it allows for a better parking and drop-off arrangement to take traffic away from local roads.”

However, the cabinet report admits that the ‘likely key concern’ would be ‘the extent of the building on what is currently open green space’.

“We understand the importance of retaining the parkland character and this option has the potential to support that overall goal,” it adds.

The report says elements of the scheme still ‘require ongoing consideration’ and that the design and location of the school remains subject to formal planning permission.