Telford & Wrekin Council’s plans to build a new Sports and Learning Community to serve Priorslee, St George’s, Ketley Bank and Redhill have received a major boost.
The council has agreed a deal to build the Priorslee Sports and Learning Community on a piece of land off Salisbury Avenue.
It will replace the existing Wrockwardine Wood Arts College, which will be disposed of when the new Sports and Learning Community is completed.
The positive news follows hot on the heels of the government announcement that Telford and Wrekin’s programme to rebuild, revamp and upgrade 15 secondary schools in the borough can go ahead despite major cuts elsewhere.
Plans for the new Priorslee Sports and Learning Community include the site continuing the existing Wrockwardine Wood Arts College’s status as a centre for performing arts and also having a sporting specialism in sailing, with a link to the nearby Priorslee Lake.
The new Sports and Learning Community will be a 1,050 pupil community school with additional provision for 150 sixth form students.
Councillor Stephen Burrell, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The purchase of the new site is a major landmark in the creation of the new SLC in Priorslee.
“We were obviously delighted with the news that the creation of Sports and Learning Communities in Telford and Wrekin can continue and now the uncertainty has been removed, we are looking forward to swift and effective progress with all our projects.
“We have chosen the site in Priorslee with the knowledge that it is more centrally located to the relevant catchment area than the existing Wrockwardine Wood Arts College.
“The new facilities will be at the centre of the community they will serve and provide a state of the art facility for pupils and residents for decades to come.”