Brunel Field school plans get go-ahead
Plans to build new school buildings on the former Brunel Field site in Bishopston got the go-ahead from planners last night. The buildings will provide much needed primary school places for the area.
Parents at Ashley Down Junior School are currently being consulted about this school running the new facility, which would become Ashley Down Primary School.
The site, adjacent to the City of Bristol College, would provide an additional 210 primary places, with the intention of expanding to 420 places, subject to further planning permission at a later date.
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Clare Campion-Smith, said: “This is a very important step towards providing more places in the north of the city for children reaching school age. Bishopston is a popular area for families and this is part of a package of measures to increase school capacity in the city. The next step is to sign contracts for the construction of new buildings. We expect to offer families the chance to apply for places at the new facility in March.”
The new school will be able to work in partnership with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club for indoor and outdoor sports and games.
With planning approval in place, work will start on site in the New Year.
The development will be carried out by Bristol Local Education Partnership www.bristollep.co.uk and follows the successful completion of two other primary schools this year by the LEP. Horfield Primary and Henbury Court Primary have both been significantly extended and refurbished.
In the last two years, the LEP has also delivered four secondary schools on time and on budget, under the council’s Building Schools for the Future programme.
Paul Shadbolt, General Manager of Bristol LEP, said: “The Bishopston development is another milestone in the LEP’s successful partnership with the City Council. We look forward to starting work with our construction partner Skanska on providing a first-class primary building for the community in north Bristol.”
The LEP has already delivered Bristol Brunel Academy, Bristol Metropolitan Academy, Brislington Enterprise College and the Bridge Learning Campus. It is extensively rebuilding and extending five other secondary schools – Ashton Park, Cotham, St Bede’s, St Bernadette and St. Mary Redcliffe & Temple – as well as providing a new building for Florence Brown Special School.
The LEP is also providing a new building for Oasis Academy Bristol, extending and refurbishing Bristol Cathedral Choir School and planning to redevelop Colston’s Girls’ School.
