DPP continue to work with a wide range of clients in delivering new school developments, including local planning and/or education authorities looking to deliver additional facilities and school places at existing schools within their existing estates.
In December 2020, DPP successfully achieved planning permission on behalf of Derbyshire County Council (the local education authority) for a new teaching block extension and three-court MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) at Glossopdale School, Hadfield, which was a replacement secondary school for which DPP achieved planning permission in 2016 and helped to deliver in time for the 2018 intake of pupils. The extension had been planned for during the development of the new school building in order to accommodate expected future population growth in the area, and it will provide additional teaching spaces as well as three additional MUGA courts to provide additional outdoor teaching and recreation spaces. DPP continue to work with the County Council to discharge planning conditions and enable to delivery of the project on site.
This permission adds to DPP’s recent success in obtaining planning approval on behalf of Kirklees Council for a new teaching block at King James School, Almondbury. The new building will expand the school’s current teaching facilities, replacing old temporary accommodation and delivering much needed secondary school places within the area. The existing school campus is located within the Green Belt and DPP were therefore required to formulate a ‘Very Special Circumstances’ case to justify the development in this location. The site was also located within a Conservation Area, with DPP working alongside the design team to deliver a scheme that will assimilate into the existing landscape and heritage context.
Commenting on the recent success, Matt Rhodes said:
DPP are delighted to assist these two Education Authorities in fulfilling their statutory duty to provide high quality schools places. Both projects represent much needed additions to their respective schools and will dramatically improve the teaching environment for pupils and their teachers.
Image: Glossopdale School – DLA Architecture
