Major plans to demolish and replace the majority of an Oldbury school have been approved by Sandwell Council. Six old buildings at Perryfields Academy in Oldacre Road, Oldbury, will be knocked down to make way for a single three-storey replacement after the Department for Education's proposals were given the green light by the council's planning committee on June 10.
The planning committee approved the work following a recommendation from the authority's planning officers. Councillor Luke John Davies, a governor at Perryfields Academy, spoke in favour of the development, stating that the school has not met its published admission numbers since 2010 due to a lack of a sixth form and insufficient physical space. He highlighted that since the raising of the school leaving age in 2015, the school has experienced significant problems, adding: "This is the secondary school that has not been redeveloped the longest in Sandwell, by a very long way."
Buildings at End of Serviceable Life
The application, submitted at the end of last year, noted that most of the buildings had "come to the end of their serviceable life." The majority of the school's old and temporary structures will be flattened, including an unused two-storey block, a modular building, the gym, dance studio, changing rooms, dining hall, and kitchen.
A two-storey teaching block will be the only building to remain on the current site. The new three-storey building will be constructed on the school's existing playing fields. New sports and playing fields, including space for grass football pitches, a running track, five-a-side pitches, and basketball and netball courts, will then be built on the old school site and car park. A new car park will replace the school's former sports hall and outdoor sports courts.
Improved Access and Safety
The school's Oldacre Road entrance will be widened to allow for two-way access, easing congestion problems. The application stated that demolishing the old buildings would reduce changeover times between lessons and allow for a more open landscape, improving site surveillance and pupil safety.
The work for the 1,200-pupil school is expected to be completed by 2029. It is hoped that the new three-storey building will be finished by early 2028, with the remaining work, including the new sports fields, completed by early 2029.
