Sandiacre school rebuild plans

Plans to totally rebuild an outdated Derbyshire secondary school and demolish a leisure centre on the same site are set to be approved.

Local Democracy Reporter Eddie Bisknell detailed how Erewash Borough Council planners have recommended that plans to demolish the current Friesland School and former Sandiacre Friesland Sports Centre in Nursery Avenue, Sandiacre, are passed.

The Department for Education is behind the plans for the school site as part of its targeted school rebuild programme for those most in need of replacements.

Almost all of the buildings on the Nursery Avenue site, the languages block, the main school block, the gym and sports hall, “the bungalow” and “C block” – along with the leisure centre – would be demolished.

Only three buildings currently on the site would remain, the science and technology block, the sixth form block and the performing arts block.

The current premises would be replaced with a new school catering for the same capacity of 1,280 students but in modern, environmentally friendly and efficient facilities.

Council officials wrote, ahead of a decision on Wednesday, June 11th: “The proposal would make a valuable contribution to educational requirements, providing up-to-date facilities to support the diverse needs of the local population.

“Inclusion of new sports facilities as part of the new block would also represent a significant improvement on current facilities and provide a valuable opportunity for the wider community to engage with healthier and more active lifestyles.

“We welcome plans to develop the new block as a net zero-carbon in operation building with a green roof, providing a substantially more sustainable building to the education stock, as well as contributions to biodiversity.

“The proposed, mainly three storey, development with a flat roof is considered to be of a high standard of design which will ultimately enhance the appearance of the site and surrounding area.

“Whilst some tree loss will occur, the majority of the existing trees, shrubs and hedges throughout the site are proposed to be retained, whilst further tree and shrub planting is proposed throughout the site.”

Five objection letters were submitted by opposing residents, who had concerns over  construction traffic disruption, removal of trees creating privacy issues and drainage issues.

In total, the new school building would have 31 classrooms and teaching areas, along with a drama studio, library, dining hall, sports hall and fitness suite

Designs for the new school building, to be built on the north-east side of the site, show plans for grass and solar panels on the rooftops, with the structure to range from three storeys to two storeys in height.

This would sit squarely on the current site of the sports centre, built in 1993.

Plans for the site show an overflow and community access car park for use of the sports pitches and changing rooms, outside of school hours.

It also includes a “bus drop off loop” and 145 parking spaces – five more than before – but in a new, more efficient layout, with further bike spots and electric vehicle charging points.

Plans show a “fenced ‘recovery garden’” for supervised walks away from other students with “controlled, supervised use only” along with a separate “SEND garden”.

There would be an “amphitheatre”-type outdoor seating  and separate covered outdoor gathering areas for Year 7 pupils and sixth form students respectively.

An all-weather pitch and multi-use games area would be retained on the site, along with three grassed football pitches.

The DfE summarises: “The redevelopment of the site will deliver a more efficient educational facility to meet the school’s curriculum requirements. 

“The amalgamation of buildings within a single attractive and sustainable new building will provide the opportunity to deliver a range of hard and soft landscaped areas of increased quantity and quality that will be usable for a range of functions.”

Closing the sports centre was to save the borough council £120,000 per year, with the authority saying the facility struggled to remain viable due to its limited access to the public, seeing 10 per cent of the monthly attendance of West Park Leisure Centre in Long Eaton.

The council had also said that the Two Counties Trust academy chain, based in Kirkby in Ashfield, “view the presence of sports centre visitors, contractors and others as a safety and safeguarding risk”.