'Outdated' school to be demolished and rebuilt

The new facilities were approved for the Gosford Hill School in Kidlington’s Oxford Road

A school is being demolished and fully replaced after the head teacher said the existing buildings were "tired" and "outdated".

The new facilities were approved for the Gosford Hill School in Kidlington’s Oxford Road during a Cherwell District Council planning meeting.

The councillors also gave the green light for 800 new homes just off Oxford Road in the village.

Gosford High School is one of about 400 schools across the country being redeveloped as part of a government school rebuilding programme.

Speaking out in favour of the plans at the meeting, Nigel Sellars, Gosford Hill's head teacher of eight years, said: "The current buildings are very tired, outdated, inefficient, costly to run, and the roofs leak.

"I appreciate there are some concerns from local residents but the safety and wellbeing of our young people is my most important consideration."

The application was passed by councillors with none voting against

He said the new school design was "very much suitable for the 21st Century".

The total number of car parking spaces proposed is 102, six more than before, and the total number of cycle spaces is 116, an increase of 66.

Seventy workers have been employed to help bring the plans to life.

Kidlington Green councillor Ian Middleton said: "I absolutely support this proposal. It’s a great school, it deserves a great building and this looks like it will be one."

But he said he was concerned about the "unfortunate" cutting down of trees to site temporary classrooms, which he described as "incongruous".

He said he hoped the buildings would be designed to accommodate the appropriate number of students to avoid a "short-sighted" proposal.

The application was passed by councillors with none voting against.