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Bramcote College New Build
First published on 11th December 2020 in issue 269 of the Trust Newsletter. Newsletters are sent to subscribers and to all parents/carers of students at The White Hills Park Trust, for whom we hold a valid email address. They also published on the websites of the Trust and each of its academies. Archive copies of the Newsletter are available on request.
Many of you will have followed the various twists and turns of our efforts to secure a new build for Bramcote College and Bramcote College Sixth Form for several years now. It is fair to say that we have had a few false dawns along the way, but it is nice to be able to share some good news, and to report a genuine milestone.
At a meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Policy Committee on Wednesday, a resolution was passed unanimously which approved the sale of the council’s freehold of land on Coventry Lane to our Trust for £1, on the condition that we then market the land and use the proceeds to rebuild the College. Our solicitors are now drawing up the contract which will put this into action.
The land in question comprises former playing fields that were in use by Bramcote Hills School, but have not been used by the school for well over a decade, and a smaller piece of land belonging to the County Council. Both areas have already been approved for housing development in Broxtowe’s Local Plan, which means that we can now begin to market the land and use the proceeds for the new build. There are further government permissions and formal agreements which will be required before we can move to the next stage, and we are now actively seeking these.
You may recall that in 2019, we worked closely with a team of architects and designers to draw up a plan for the new school and sixth form, and this design will be the basis we will work from. The new school will be fully equipped for a 21st-Century school curriculum, will sit at the centre of its community, and will be built to the highest standards of sustainability and sensitivity to its surroundings. It will include facilities for all subject areas, including Science labs, Technology rooms, theatre and drama space and sports facilities, and will provide access to the wider community outside school hours. It will also have a dedicated 6th Form area and up to date IT infrastructure.
Although this topic is of particular interest to Bramcote College parents, it has a relevance to all the schools in the Trust. Keeping our building stock up to date and fit for purpose is a key responsibility and allows us to use our funds well. By replacing the school site that is in greatest need with a brand new building that will not need further capital investment for some time, it will allow us to focus on other schools in the Trust that will also benefit from building upgrades over time. It will also enable us to have facilities within the Trust, such as theatre space and staff training facilities, that can benefit all of our schools.
I appreciate the patience shown by our community as we have moved this project forward. We would now like to make sure that we keep people informed and hear the opinions of everyone involved, and so we will be holding a termly open meeting to give updates and gather feedback. The first meeting is planned for Monday 15th February – we will announce timings and venue nearer the date.
Dr P Heery
