Former college site could become secondary school

Coventry College's campus in Henley closed three years ago

A former city college could be turned into a secondary school in a bid to fill a shortage of places for pupils, planning documents have revealed.

Officials have refused plans to redevelop Coventry College's Henley campus as housing because an educational need has been identified.

Officers at the city council said the site was “ideal” for the project and a new school was needed to meet future demand for places.

A report found the college could be turned into a 1,250-pupil school with seven-form entry.

Officials claimed Henley college was the best site, papers said.

They added people were moving to the area and there were no other sites in the north-east of the city that were suitable for a new school.

“By securing the Henley College site for a new secondary school, the city council can effectively manage existing and future pupil growth, reduce transportation impacts and support the educational needs of the community,” documents added.

Officers said the loss of the education buildings would outweigh the benefits of new houses for the city.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.