Walsall councillors will decide this week whether to approve a controversial application from the Department for Education (DfE) to build a 1,000-place secondary school in Birchills, a project that would flatten 13.7 acres of woodland at Reedswood Park. The planning committee is scheduled to meet at 5.30pm on Thursday 3 September to consider the proposal, which has drawn fierce opposition from local residents and formal objections from both the Local Highways Authority and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust.
School plans and access arrangements
The application includes a three-storey building, 130 parking spaces, and sport facilities, with access planned via Reedswood Lane. To address concerns, the DfE has proposed restricting traffic to residents only during school pick-up and drop-off times, introducing single yellow line parking restrictions, creating pedestrian improvements at the junction of Reedswood Lane with Old Birchills and Bentley Lane, and using dedicated school buses.
Despite these mitigations, the Local Highways Authority continues to object, stating that 'fundamental matters' had not yet been overcome. West Midlands Fire Service also raised concerns, saying the proposal does not appear to meet the criteria for access and facilities for its crews.
Objections from wildlife trust and residents
Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust has objected on the grounds that the statutory biodiversity net gain of 10 per cent cannot be achieved. The trust said the area of open space is 'clearly highly valued by the community' and that its loss would have significant impacts.
Over two hundred comments were received from members of the public against the plans, with only three in support and two neutral. Of the total, 150 comments raised transport concerns, 112 highlighted parking issues, and 108 were made about ecology fears.
Council recommendation and place demand
Walsall Council, as the local education authority, said there is a predicted shortfall of secondary school places in the area. Birchills is located in school planning area three, where forecasts indicate additional secondary school places will be required until 2031.
West Midlands Police provided no objection to the plans. In their initial response, the force quoted incorrect details on the proposal and referred to crime data for the Brownhills ward, but later stated that the errors had been rectified and the planning officer informed.
Planning officers said that, on balance, the 'moderate adverse weight' attributed to the loss of open space is outweighed by the benefits of the proposed new school, and therefore recommended that the development be supported. The planning committee will make the final decision at its meeting on Thursday 3 September.
