Walsall Council leaders are poised to give the green light to a significant agreement that will see a 125-year lease granted for a portion of Reedswood Park woodland, paving the way for a new £50 million free school. The decision, scheduled for approval at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, February 11, also includes a £1 million payment to the Department for Education to initiate the project.
Background and Funding Arrangements
The Department for Education originally approved plans for a mainstream secondary free school serving Blakenall and the wider Walsall area back in 2017. The Windsor Academy Trust has been appointed to operate the proposed institution, which is expected to accommodate approximately 1,000 students upon completion.
Following extensive site searches conducted by the DfE, a 13.7-acre section of woodland within Reedswood Park emerged as the preferred location for the new educational facility. The funding agreement stipulates that the council will transfer the site on a 125-year lease at a peppercorn rent, while also contributing £1 million to offset some of the abnormal development costs, estimated at £4.6 million.
Environmental Concerns and Alternative Proposals
The selection of the Reedswood Park site has sparked considerable debate within the local community. Critics have raised environmental objections, with planning agent Robin Whitehouse describing the project as "a money grabbing exercise with no regard for huge levels of environmental damage."
Whitehouse highlighted that "Reedswood Park contains important bat roosts, excellent bat foraging habitat, and also provides habitats for small hole nesting woodland bird species." He further suggested the development appeared to be "little more than an empire-building and vanity project being led by a small group of Walsall councillors with strong levels of influence."
Alternative locations have been proposed by various stakeholders, including the vacant Sneyd Comprehensive School on Vernon Way and the soon-to-be vacant Forest Arts Centre on Hawbush Road. However, the DfE has clarified that their funding can only be allocated toward constructing entirely new school buildings, rather than expanding or improving existing facilities.
Council's Position and Legal Considerations
Walsall Council has formally reported that there will be no negative health, wellbeing, or climate implications resulting from the loss of 13.7 acres of public woodland. The authority has emphasized that without the £50 million investment from the DfE, they would need to fund the required additional school places from their own capital budget.
Reedswood Park holds both Green Flag status, awarded by Keep Britain Tidy for the past three years, and designation as an Asset of Community Value. Normally, disposing of an ACV requires a mandatory moratorium period to allow community groups to express interest in submitting bids. However, regulations explicitly state that this requirement does not apply when the property is being disposed of for school use.
The site itself has an interesting history, having previously been part of the Reedswood Colliery and later the former Walsall Power Station. Following the power station's decommissioning and demolition in 1987, a nine-hole municipal golf course operated on the land until its closure in 2007.
Next Steps and Conditions
While cabinet members are expected to approve the deal, the project remains subject to obtaining planning permission. The council has confirmed that if the DfE fails to secure the necessary planning approval for the development, the lease will not be completed and the £1 million payment will not be made.
This decision represents a significant moment for educational provision in Walsall, balancing the need for additional school places against environmental considerations and community concerns about the use of valued green space.
