New 'green' school is planned
Date Published : 03 July 2009
This is the first glimpse of artist impressions for a new multi-million pound school for more than 400 Walsall children.
Proposals have been lodged with Walsall Council planners for the scheme for the new Barcroft Primary School site in Elm Street, Willenhall.
The school is set to be on the site of the existing Elm Street Infant school.
Environmentally friendly features will be included in the design of the new school which will be built next to the current campus.
The current dated buildings will be demolished and developed for parking and playing fields, as part of the plan.
Councillor Rachel Walker, Walsall Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This is excellent news for children. The artist’s impressions of how the building will look are fantastic and they give a taste of what we are working towards.
“Our children’s futures are central to making Walsall a great place to live and work and investment like this shows quite clearly our commitment.
“Education is a priority for us and by building a school fit for the 21st century we will help prepare children for the challenges of the decades ahead.
“One of the great things about the new design is that it’ll be one of the greenest schools in the borough.
“We’ve designed a range of features such as energy efficient lighting, heating and ventilation and we’ll be paying a great deal of attention to the landscaping of the site.”
The new school will be constructed to include environmentally friendly and sustainable materials such as timber from renewable sources
The proposed school will be large enough for 420 pupils with a two form entry.
Funding for the scheme was approved by Walsall Council last summer with work set to start by the end of the year.
The new school building is expected to be ready for occupation by staff and pupils by early 2011.