£5 million teaching block set to get go ahead at Oldbury school
A £5 million expansion of an Oldbury secondary school is expected to be given the go-ahead by councillors.
Bristnall Hall is applying to Sandwell Council for planning permission to build a new two-storey teaching block which will provide an extra 130 pupil places.
The scheme comes after the authority approved a £21 million investment in classrooms for nearly 1,000 students at three academies in the borough.
The building will provide four new classrooms, a kitchen, dining area and space for student support to be built on the school’s existing tennis courts.
The loss of the tennis courts has led Sport England to object saying the plans do not provide alternative provision.
The new block will be funded by Sandwell Council which is also backing similar plans at Q3 Academy Langley and West Bromwich Collegiate Academy to create an extra 840 pupil places.
Bristnall Hall’s head teacher, Mr Kully Uppal, said the development will help transform children’s lives and meet the growing demand for more spaces at the school, which is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.
He said: “Bristnall Hall is over-subscribed each year and as the highest performing academy within the local authority, as well as being the only 5-star rated secondary school in the area, we want to have as many places available as possible for our prospective students.”
Recommending councillors approve the development, planning officers have said: “Whilst it is accepted that Sport England have raised concerns about the loss of hard-standing courts, this is not a statutory objection and when considering the enhanced wider facilities this proposal provides for the existing school, it is considered that this would not be sufficient to warrant refusal.”
If passed at next week’s planning committee, the teaching block will open in September 2021.
