A new planning application to build a sports building at Wellsway School has been submitted by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The £3 million investment in the new sports hall is part of the Council’s plans to improve school buildings across the area and provides the school with a new facility for sports education with a link to the science curriculum, which is a central element of a modern sports and science college.
The proposal is to use a site adjacent to existing Astroturf pitch – a location preferred by local residents during a recent consultation exercise. The external appearance of the building includes timber cladding for much of the exterior and is broken up with panels of varying materials to reduce the overall visual bulk of the building to offer visual variety.
The hall will also benefit the Keynsham community and will be available for people to use out of school hours with a competition standard 6 court badminton hall, fitness gym and changing rooms for the external sports facilities.
Councillor Nathan Hartley (Lib-Dem, Peasedown), Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children, and Youth and Deputy Leader of Council, said, “These proposals are a key part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s intention to improve school buildings on the Wellsway site. They will help to change the lives of young people through providing sports facilities of the highest possible standard and offer a community facility for local people so that they can get involved in a range of sports and activities to support a healthier lifestyle.”
Wellsway was recently graded outstanding by OFSTED – an achievement that the school wants to build upon with improvements to its facilities.
Head Teacher Andrea Arlidge said, “The Sports Centre is a crucial part of our on-going development plans that will bring considerable benefits not just to our school but to the local community. We would like to thank all the residents who have offered their comments about the new proposal at the recent informal consultation.”
The new application takes on board comments from a previous planning submission which was refused. There will be formal consultation on the application as part of the normal planning process and it is hoped that consent my be granted in the Autumn, with work commencing on site early in 2012.
Further details can be found here: