Shrewsbury secondary school rebuild given green light

Artist's impressions show how the school could look

Plans to demolish and rebuild a secondary school have been given the go-ahead by councillors.

Shropshire Council's planning committee has backed proposals for a new state-of-the-art facility to replace Belvidere School in Shrewsbury.

It is part of a £1bn government project targeting 50 schools across the country.

The three-storey modular building will be constructed on part of the playing fields to the south of Belvidere Lane.

Then the current school site will be demolished and replaced with a new car park and sports pitches.

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, planning officer Philip Mullineux said concerns regarding privacy, given the proximity of the new school building to neighbouring properties, had been addressed satisfactorily by the applicant, Pegasus Group, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Pam Moseley voiced concerns over road safety and access to the new site, which she said would mean an increase in the number of pupils and staff crossing Belvidere Lane.

Nigel Cussen of Pegasus Group said: "The scheme will provide a very high quality new school meeting excellent educational standards in a highly sustainable low-carbon manner.

"The replacement playing fields on the site of the existing school will compensate for the playing field space taken by the new building on the southern plot."

The new school will accommodate up to 900 pupils, meaning no increase in places or the number of staff.

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The committee unanimously voted to grant planning permission.