The £38.4m rebuild of West Coventry Academy, which is the one of the first to be built to be net zero carbon in operation, has reached a major milestone as the new buildings and facilities are open to students.
On behalf of Bowmer + Kirkland and the Department of Education, DPP Planning secured full planning permission for a major transformation at West Coventry Academy, one of the first 100 schools to be rebuilt under the ten-year School Rebuilding Programme, in August 2021.
Two years on, the new buildings and sports facilities are complete and open to students for this new academic year. The rebuild includes a new central school building and state of the art sports hall and outdoor facilities which will also be used by the local community.
A collaborative effort between DPP, Bowmer + Kirkland, the design team, and the Council meant that planning permission was secured within 13-weeks and without pre-commencement conditions, ensuring work could start on site as soon as possible. This was a significant factor in enabling the school buildings to be ready on time.
Designed by Stride Treglown, the new buildings have been delivered through the Modern Methods of Construction Framework with off-site and pre-construction manufacturing and innovative processes ensuring a more sustainable build.
Speaking about the project Bob Robinson, Director at DPP, said:
West Coventry Academy is one of the first schools to benefit from the £2bn school rebuilding programme and we’re very proud to have secured the planning permission in partnership with Bowmer + Kirkland. Not only does it provide an excellent facility for the education of local young people and provide an important resource for the wider community, it is also net zero carbon in operation through the use of innovative design and technologies.
We were also particularly pleased to ensure the permission was delivered within the 13-week period, to ensure that Bowmer + Kirkland could be on site as soon as possible and were able to deliver the transformation of the academy on programme.
Photograph: Bowmer & Kirkland
