Rebuild plan approved for resort academy
The new Woodlands Academy building is "well overdue", councillors were told
- Published
A school for children with special educational needs in Scarborough is to be rebuilt under new plans approved by councillors.
North Yorkshire Council unanimously passed plans on Thursday for a new school building and sports facilities at Woodlands Academy near Scarborough Hospital.
The school's existing buildings will eventually be demolished and replaced with an L-shaped building with solar panels, parking and new sports facilities, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.
The old school will remain open while the work is ongoing.
Woodlands' new two-storey building will be funded by the Department for Education (DfE) as part of its School Rebuilding Programme and built on the eastern side of the current school.
There will be new external play and sports facilities, plus a multi-use games area in the middle.
'Well overdue'
Anne Burke-Hargreaves, agent for the application, told the council's planning committee the new playing field and sports hall would be a "significant improvement".
She said the plans included a new secure pupil pick-up and drop-off point which would ease congestion on Woodlands Drive heading towards Scarborough Hospital's outpatients department.
“Electric vehicle charging points, 10 cycle spaces, solar panels and the green roof [and] high energy efficiency LED lights all aim to make the school net zero carbon in operation,” she added.
The school's numbers, 136 pupils and 62 full time equivalent staff, would remain the same.
Councillor Roberta Swiers said the plan was "massive" for the town and was "well overdue".
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