Primary school primed for Bolton pool site

The Department for Education has lodged outline plans to build a three-storey school on the site of the former Jubilee Centre, which is in the process of being relocated to Crompton Way.

Olive Primary School would take up residence at the old Jubilee Centre site on Tennyson Street under the proposals, submitted for the DfE by planning consultant Cushman & Wakefield. The 22,600 sq ft school would be operated by Star Academies Trust.

In addition to classrooms, the Bolton school would have a multi-use games area as well as soft and hard play areas. The building would be capable of educating 420 pupils.

One-way vehicular access to the building would be from Darley Street, with an exit onto Tennyson Street.

There would be 44 car parking spaces, half of which would be designated for staff and another 14 that would be situated in a drop-off and pick-up zone. There would also be three spaces for those who are disabled and five spaces with electric vehicle charging capability.

Olive Primary is currently located at Ashton House on Waterloo Street, which had been offices. The temporary change of use permit that allowed the office block to become a school is expiring in July 2024.

Bolton and the DfE had worked together to find a suitable site for the school, settling on the Jubilee Centre plot in March 2019. Work on the replacement Jubilee Centre is in progress, with the £5.7m leisure facility set to open in March 2023 on Crompton Way.

In addition to Cushman & Wakefield, the project team for Olive Primary School includes Mott Macdonald, AmenityTree, and Sandy Brown.

The application reference number for the scheme is 14930/22.