South Ribble progresses school redevelopment, 121 homes
Wellspring Academy in Leyland will be getting a face lift, meanwhile Prospect Homes will gear up to construct a Mellor Brook neighbourhood now councillors have voted to approve the two projects.
South Ribble Council’s planning committee met on Tuesday to debate the proposals, with Prospect Homes’ housing application taking up much of the meeting’s time. Wellspring Academy’s project which involves demolishing the school’s current six buildings in favour of two new-builds, was unanimously (and quickly) approved.
Wellfield Academy
- Application reference: 07/2025/00761/FUL
Wellfield Academy off Yewlands Drive in Leyland has secured permission to consolidate its premises – demolishing five of its six existing buildings and replacing them with two new-build structures.
The result will be a 83,000 sq ft campus that is fully accessible and kitted out with solar panels and ground source heat pumps.
AHR designed the two new buildings, which will be a two-storey commons block and a three-storey teaching block.
The commons block will be 29,900 sq ft with SEN facilities, music rooms, library, hall, dining room, and administrative hub.
The teaching block will be 52,600 sq ft, with classrooms along its edge to maximise daylight intake.
Kier Construction was behind the application and is lined up to deliver the school, which has 830 pupils and 95 full-time staff members.
The project team included Ares, Eurban, OFR, Dodds, and MZA.
Prospect Homes’ future neighbourhood lies close to BAE Systems’ Samlesbury Aerodrome. Credit: Google Earth
Land south of Myerscough Smithy Lane
- Application reference: 07/2025/00406/FUL
Prospect Homes worked with planner Pegasus on the Mellor Brook project, which will see 121 homes delivered on 14 acres of vacant land south of Myerscough Smithy Lane.
Of the 121 homes approved, 43 are to be affordable. Of those, 30 will be for affordable rent while the remaining 13 will be intermediate tenure properties. The residences themselves are a mix of apartments, semi-detached, and detached houses.
There will be 14 different house types, with the properties having between one and four bedrooms.
Prospect will be delivering the neighbourhood in four phases.
In addition to Pegasus, the project team included E3P, SCP, PDA, and Golby and Luck.
