Unanimous approval for two Stockport schools
Bramhall High School and Moorfield Primary School will be replaced under two planning applications that won the favour of councillors during yesterday’s planning committee meeting.
Both decisions to approve were in line with officer recommendation. The schools part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme.
You can find out more about each below.
The replacement school will be 116,700 sq ft. Credit: via planning documents
Bramhall High School
Developer/Contractor: Willmott Dixon Construction on behalf of the Department for Education
Architect: Sheppard Robson
Planner: PlanRed
Situated off Seal Road in Bramhall, the replacement Bramhall High School will allow students to study in an educational setting without problematic RAAC.
The existing school buildings, minus the Maths Block, will be demolished in the plans put forward by Willmott Dixon Construction for the Department for Education.
Before those buildings are razed, however, the new 116,700 sq ft high school will be built on the 36-acre site. The structure will range in height from two to three storeys, with a sports hall attached.
The school has been designed by Sheppard Robson to accommodate the same number of student and staff as its predecessor – 1,350 pupils and 142 full-time employees.
This new building will hold 25 general teaching classrooms, as well as 10 science labs and specialist spaces for drama, computing, and art and design. There will be an assembly hall, dining halls, and library. There would also be five SEND-specialised classrooms.
The sports hall would hold four courts, an activity studio, and changing facilities.
Externally, students would be able to play on two multi-use games areas, a 3G football pitch, and a series of playing fields.
There would be a car park with 132 bays, including 14 accessible and 13 with electric vehicle charging capabilities. A bus turning loop would be able to accommodate five buses at any given time.
DEP Landscape Architecture led the design of the external spaces for Bramhall High School. Roscoe advised on flooding and drainage matters, with Pace Consult leading on air and noise issues.
Civic’s heritage division handled the archaeological work. The Environment Partnership was the ecologist and arboriculturalist for the scheme, while SK Transport Planning devised the transport strategy.
TACE led on net zero carbon assessments, lighting, and energy.
You can learn more about the application by searching DC/098847 on Stockport Council’s planning portal.
Ellis Williams is the architect, Iceni the planner for Moorfield Primary School. Credit: planning documents
Moorfield Primary School
Developer/Contractor: Tilbury Douglas on behalf of the Department for Education
Architect: Ellis Williams Architects
Planner: Iceni Projects
Poor conditions led to Moorfield Primary School becoming part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme in 2022.
Now, change is on the horizon, with the council signing off proposals to construct a 28,000 sq ft replacement school on the current school’s site off Lyndhurst Avenue in Hazel Grove.
To enable the build, there will be a phased demolition of the existing school buildings with a temporary modular classroom and car park brought in to ensure students can continue to learn during the construction period.
This new school will range in height from one to two storeys. It has been designed by Ellis Williams Architects to hold ground-source heat pumps. Rooftop solar panels are planned for an external canopy near an outdoor learning centre, with a substation nearby.
Like Bramhall High School, this school has been designed with the current student intake in mind. This means 420 students and 28 SEND pupils.
Extensive planting is due to occur to make up for the loss of trees during the construction process.
The project team includes BWB Consulting, TACE, Rappor, SkW Consultancy, ONE FFE, OFR Consultants, AEC, Vietec, Local Transport Projects, Urban Green, and Majenta Solutions.
You can learn more about the school by searching reference DC/098917 on Stockport Council’s planning portal.
Related Articles
Analysis - Commentary
VIDEO | How to design an office the right way
When JMW Solicitors signed for 43,000 sq ft of 125 Deansgate in Manchester, the law firm effectively had a blank canvas to create the perfect place for its clients and staff. Partner Thomas Pearson walked Place North West through the firm’s approach.
At least it creates jobs
By Anonymous
I know this isn’t the fault of the design team, but can school clients please get into the mindset that around 20% of children will have diagnosed or undiagnosed neurodiversity, and associated differing needs. But if all schools were designed to be inclusive, these children could stay in mainstream settings. This means all classrooms and spaces considering acoustics, spatial quality, connectivity with outside space, adaptable environments etc. Special ‘SEND’ areas are not an inclusive solution, they are the opposite. The whole school should be designed to suit neurodiversity – and this will only bring benefits to all pupils and staff. An easy first design decision would be for all classrooms to have direct access to outside space for ongoing regulation throughout the day.
By Anon
Would be good if the school is year 7 to 13 ie 6th form included in plans
By Anonymous