Council to scrap plans for new city school

Education chiefs are set to scrap plans for a new secondary school in Worcester.

Building the school at Newtown Road is the "least likely option" to increase secondary school provision in the city, said Worcestershire County Council.

The authority is instead set to increase capacity at schools, which include The Chase and Dyson Perrins, with some Worcester pupils facing a daily trip to Malvern. It is also looking into the feasibility of building a new school on the County Hall site.

At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, councillors were told that Worcester would need an additional 90 secondary school places by September 2026 and a further 120 by 2027.

The previous Conservative administration's solution was a new school in Newtown Road, which had already been given planning permission.

Costs have spiralled and are now so high the project "jeopardises the affordability of the whole education capital programme", the council said.

Dr Stephen Foster, cabinet member for education, said the council would need to borrow £33.6m to pay for the £63.3m school.

"This is the least likely option to pursue," he said, questioning the impact the project would have on the council's "financial emergency".

More likely is the permanent expansion of three city schools – Nunnery Wood, Bishop Perowne and Tudor Grange Academy – plus The Chase and Dyson Perrins in Malvern.

"Some Worcester city pupils will not be able to access secondary education in their home locality," Cllr Foster admitted. "This option, however, reduces borrowing."

He said creating extra places at the five schools would cost £29.5m, of which £3.96m would need to be borrowed.

Mr Foster said there would also be a one-off revenue cost of £4m as costs relating to the Newtown Road site could not be capitalised – but this would save £30m "over a much longer period".

A third option is to explore the possibility of building a new school at County Hall, which Mr Foster said would mean borrowing at least £7m.

Cabinet authorised a feasibility study to be carried out into the County Hall option, but Mr Foster said: "We are likely to rule it out."

Councillor Justin Bowen said: "It is unbelievable this many children will not have school places. It should never have been allowed to get this far without action being taken."

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