Academy wins votes for an £18m school (From The Northern Echo)

Academy wins votes for an £18m school

3:01pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Stockton News

AN academy has won approval to build a new £18m school.

Work on building the 1,050-place school, youth centre and sports fields, in Stockton, is expected to start in the coming months after permission was granted by Stockton Borough Council's planning committee yesterday.

The approval was good news for the town's North Shore Health Academy, which opened in 2010 when Blakeston and Norton schools merged, following a poor Ofsted report last month.

The academy, which is sponsored by the NHS, is independent of the council and is funded as part of a Government programme.

The school will be built on the site of the former Tilery Sports Centre, Talbot Street, for pupils aged 11 to 18.

There will an 11-a-side floodlit pitch, a youth centre for 14 to 19year-olds, and parking. The buildings will be either two or three storeys and the site will measure about 9,200sq metres.

Councillors considering the proposal, which was recommended for approval by planning officers, watched a video showing modern classrooms, computer rooms, cafe and dining areas.

The only objector who spoke at the meeting, in Stockton library lecture hall, yesterday, was member of the public Peter McGlade.

He had previously voiced concerns that a right of way would be jeopardised, but was told there was no right of way at present, although a new pathway near a beck would be created.

Mr McGlade said: "This would be more suitable at the old Norton School, where there's more room for expansion.

"This area is a cul-de-sac area and there were instances when the old sports hall was busy where fire engines and ambulances couldn't get down.

"There was the recreation ground there and that beautiful land has been taken from us."

Five councillors voted for the development and four abstained, with no one objecting.

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has urged the school to seek help after an Ofsted report last month criticised teaching and pupil behaviour and pointed out a high level of absenteeism.

Parents have been public in their defence of the school.