By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
The creation of a new 210-place primary school in East Leake is expected to cost more than £13 million, a council chairman has confirmed.
Plans to create the free school, at the Rempstone Road development in the village, have been making progress over the past year.
A temporary school ‘village’ was given planning consent by Rushcliffe Borough Council last month, which is due to open in September next year to meet the growing need for education places in East Leake.
This temporary site will accommodate an initial 120 children.
The permanent school, which will also include a 26-place nursery and will be based on the same development, is expected to be open in its full capacity a year later under the control of Spencer Academies Trust.
A meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council’s policy committee on Thursday (December 2) confirmed the costings and the timeframe for the school.
Councillor Keith Girling (Con), chairman of the economic development and asset management (EDAM) committee, told members the school will cost £13.62 million to provide.
This will be split between Section 106 developer contributions from the property companies on Rempstone Road, and through support from the Government’s Basic Needs programme.
Cllr Girling told the committee: “East Leake is a growing village with increasing demands for primary school places, which existing schools cannot meet.
“The proposals are to provide the additional school places from 2022 to meet the growing need and to ensure East Leake children can go to primary schools in the village.
“It’s proposed the new primary school will be built on land provided by two housing developers as part of their Section 106 contributions, and to meet the demand it is proposed accommodation is provided in a temporary village from September 2022.
“The new-build, permanent primary school with the 26-place nursery is targeted at opening in September 2023.
“It is estimated at costing £13.62 million, to be funded through Section 106 contributions and the Basic Needs Programme [from Government].”
The temporary site will include an access road and permanent access path, both of which will be lit.
It will also feature areas of soft play, canopies and car parking.
Whilst the temporary school is in use, construction will be under way on the permanent new free school.
Cllr Tracey Taylor (Con), chairman of the children and young people’s committee, says planning for the schools has suffered “complexities” but stressed it is about meeting the needs of its future pupils.
She said: “Yes the sums of money are eye-watering, they always are to build a new school, but this is about creating much-needed school places for children.
“With the complexities of this particular site – its funding and literally the logistics of building [it] – officers have gone above and beyond to ensure we can meet the needs of children.
“Between them, officers are identifying the need and are seeking to meet it in a timely fashion.”
A community group will be set up in Rushcliffe to share its views on the school’s development.
It will support the integration of the primary school into Rushcliffe’s network of existing sites, many of which are rated good and outstanding by Ofsted.
