Tens of millions of pounds to be allocated to build new school on outskirts of Leamington amid concerns 'it will be in the wrong place'

Nearly £50 million has been allocated for the building of a new school in Whitnash even though there were suggestions that it will be in the wrong place.

Councillors at this week’s full council meeting of Warwickshire County Council approved that £49.5m be allocated to the capital programme so that the Oakley Grove school can be built.

But while there was unanimous support for the scheme, which it is hoped will be ready to take its first pupils in September 2023, Cllr John Holland (Lab, Warwick West) said the plan was flawed.

The Labour group leader said: “This proposal is just £50m for a school in the wrong place. It was not what was planned and there’s a lesson here for all new councillors - if you argue your case and get something in a plan, it doesn’t mean you are going to get it.

“The site we had wanted and planned is in the centre of the housing estate so that the pupils could walk or cycle to school in some safety and which completely fits into our transport plan which talks about children not being driven. This report talks about a car park with a school attached.

“The problem is that this secondary school has been in the plan for a very long time and it is being built too late. The report talks about children having to start in huts because the school won’t be ready in time - but we have to support it because it is the only thing on offer.”

The proposed school will cater for children ranging from pre-school to those aged 16. There will also be SEND provision and the option of a 300-pupil sixth form.

Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Con, Stour and the Vale) said: “This was deemed to be the place where the district council wanted the school. We had a lot of dialogue with them about the appropriateness of it being in the centre but houses have gone in the centre and this has gone on the edge.

“There is an active travel plan and a cycleway going through the new country park. It will be a fabulous all through school and it will be in a wonderful setting for those children to grow up and learn about activities and nature.”

“It has been years in the planning and we may have wished to have it in a different site which would have been cheaper for us in the end. However, this was deemed where it should be. “It’s just that this is a daunting gulp when you look at the amount of money that we are having to spend to level the site and put in the cycleways.”