Plans for a new 420 capacity school on the site of a former swimming pool and day centre are set to be approved this week. The three-storey building would be built on the site of the Jubilee centre on Darley Street in the Halliwell area of Bolton.
The purpose-built primary school would be the permanent home for the Olive Primary School, run by the Star Academies Trust. The school is currently on a temporary site at Ashton House, Waterloo Street.
The plans are set to be decided on Thursday at a meeting of Bolton Council’s planning committee. Other areas covered by the application include a multi-use games area and a designated drop off and pick up zone.
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The school would have a two-form entry intake with an admission number of 60 pupils per year group across ages four to 11, with a total capacity of 420 places. The Jubilee Centre, which was a well loved community building, including a swimming pool, is being replaced by a soon to open £6 million day centre off Crompton Way.
A planning officer’s report on the school application, said: “The building would be three storeys in height and would extend to a height of 9.6m from the finished floor level to ceiling. Vehicle access to the site would be one way, with access into the site taken from the existing access point on Darley Street and the exit will be on to Tennyson Street.
“A March 2022, a survey demonstrates an extreme pressure for primary school places in Bolton. There are currently 27 primary schools in Bolton which are full or have one or more pupils in excess of capacity.
“The proposed development will form an integral part of Bolton Council’s strategy to increase primary school capacity and to provide a permanent home for Olive Primary School.”
Three letters of objection were received by the council which raised the concerns that the school would be too close to adjoining properties, the development is too high and fears over a loss of light and privacy.
A council response to this, said: “The proposal would be sited approximately 35 metres away from the properties on Hemsworth Street, Cramford Close and Westworth Close, therefore the proposed building would not create any unacceptable overshadowing or affect levels of privacy for residential properties.”
Other objections included strain on existing community facilities, increase in traffic, loss of parking and noise nuisance. Officers have recommended approval of the plans ahead of the planning meeting on Thursday.
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