Campaigners from Save Our Park will demonstrate outside Walsall Council House on Thursday, September 3, as the council's planning committee decides whether to approve a £50 million three-storey secondary school with 1,000 student places at Reedswood Park woodland. The application, submitted by the Department for Education (DfE), has met with sustained local opposition over traffic and ecological concerns, and follows a decision by the new Reform cabinet to revoke a previously agreed £1 million council contribution to the project.
Protest and Planning Decision Loom
Save Our Park has called on residents to meet at 5pm outside Walsall Council House on Lichfield Street ahead of the planning meeting. The group is urging the council to reject the application, which would involve the destruction of 13.7 acres of woodland. If approved, the school would be named the Windsor Apollo Academy and managed by the Windsor Academy Trust.
Mark Webster, a campaigner and local resident, said: “While we welcome the council’s decision to withdraw the million-pound contribution to the project signed by the previous administration, we are still waiting for a clear statement about what their intention is. In the meantime, residents are living with huge uncertainty about the scheme which is currently due to go to the planning committee on 3 September. Are we to understand that the withdrawal of funding means that the council wishes to withdraw the scheme? If that is the case we would welcome a statement that makes that clear before the planning committee.”
Traffic and Ecological Concerns Raised
Locals have long opposed the scheme due to the chosen access route of Reedswood Lane. They claim the road will not cope with school drop-off and pick-up times, as it is already often reduced to a single track from parked cars during non-peak times. The Highways Authority has also provided an objection to the application, stating that ‘fundamental matters’ had not yet been overcome.
Beyond traffic, residents oppose the plans due to the loss of woodland habitat. Ecological surveys submitted with the application found 30 different bird species, nine species of bat, six reptile species, and at least half a dozen types of mammals in the area. These findings have strengthened opposition from environmental groups and residents alike.
Funding Withdrawal and Site Alternatives
Despite the widespread opposition, the DfE, led by the Labour government, is continuing with its plan to deliver the school. The DfE has never publicly confirmed the reasons for choosing Reedswood Park or why other sites were discounted. Many residents have questioned why the nearby vacant Sneyd Comprehensive School site cannot be used for the project.
Earlier this year, the then-Conservative council approved a £1 million payout to the DfE to cover abnormal costs associated with starting the project, and also approved a 125-year lease of the woodland to the DfE. However, last week, the new Reform cabinet voted to revoke the previously agreed £1 million spend, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the scheme.
Council Response and Next Steps
Shokt Faisal, from Agenda 21 and Friends of Reedswood Park, said: “We are calling on the council to reject this scheme outright. It does not reflect the wishes or the interests of local residents.”
A spokesperson for Walsall Council said: “A planning report for a proposed new secondary school on land north of Reedswood Lane is due to be considered by planning committee on 3 September 2026. The planning committee carefully considers applications alongside professional advice from officers, consultation responses, and the views of local residents and the wider community. Decisions are made in accordance with planning policy and relevant material planning considerations.” The planning committee will make its decision on Thursday evening, with the outcome set to determine the future of the woodland site and the proposed academy.
