School expansion halted by councillors

A £300,000 project to spruce up a Black Country park has been halted after school expansion plans were scuppered.

A revamp of George Rose Park, in Darlaston, has been put on hold following a decision by Walsall Council planning chiefs.

They threw out proposals to increase the size of the Grace Academy which would have seen more than half of the park swallowed up to make way for a revamp of the school and create sports facilities. A revamp of the remaining park area would have included refurbishment of footpaths and the bandstand.

Councillor Paul Bott, a member of Friends of Darlaston South Parks, said: "We have had an email to say the £300,000 has been put on hold.

"It was always a condition for the loss of public open space.

"As the Friends of Darlaston South Parks we had set up a working group and we were going to try and find a way of match-funding to really turn the park around.

"It is a premier park, but out of all the parks in the borough it seems to be the lowest-ranked. There has been no investment and it needs some improvement."

Fifty-two per cent of the park would have been taken up by the plans, which would also have seen the creation of a new boundary, buildings and playing fields for the 1,500-place school.

Despite the scheme being recommended for approval by council planning officers, the development control committee rejected the plans.

The former Darlaston Community Science College was taken over and replaced by Grace Academy two months ago.

The principal at the secondary school in Herberts Park Road, Nick Marshall, said it would not be deterred by the move.

"We are working with Walsall Council. Grace Academy remains totally committed to running a school and transforming education for the community in Darlaston."