Playing field plan for former school site

The former junior school site on Goldthorn Road has been vacant for several years

A former school site in Wolverhampton is set to be transformed into playing fields.

St Luke's Primary School off Goldthorn Road was demolished some years ago as buildings were in "very poor condition and unsuitable for children’s needs," a city council report said.

Under plans, the area would become a cricket facility, permanently replacing playing fields lost elsewhere to make way for a different school.

The council's cabinet is recommended to approve transferring the former St Luke's site from the local authority to the Secretary of State for Education.

A report ahead of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday proposed that the grounds would replace playing fields lost because of the Royal Wolverhampton Junior School's relocation to land at the west side of Penn Road.

The cabinet is recommended to approve the transfer by way of a 125-year ground lease at a "peppercorn" rent.

The former St Luke's site had previously been identified in the Wolverhampton Local Plan as being suitable for up to 90 homes.

But the area of the ex-school had been removed from housing plans due to the unsuitability of nearby roads, the report said.