Firms to bid over demolition of Charlton School

Companies are being invited to bid for the right to knock down the old Charlton School in Wellington, a project which is worth between £100,000 and £500,000.

The final cohort of pupils waved goodbye to the school in Severn Drive earlier this year, with classes starting in a £16 million replacement in Apley Avenue.

It was part of Telford & Wrekin Council's £200m Building Schools for the Future project.

Now the council is moving forward with plans to offload the old school, and hopes to have work under way by around mid October.

Spokesman Russell Griffin said: "We cannot be certain exactly when work will start on the demolition of the former Charlton School as it depends on the award of the tender.

"However we would expect that it would be approximately mid October.

"The land will then be sold for development."

Businesses have until September 2 to make a claim for the right to demolish the school.

A sports hall at the former school in Severn Drive is likely to be retained, however, as will another sports hall at the new site, which has been refurbished and integrated into the new school complex.

The new Charlton School sits on the site of the former Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College, which in turn closed last year and is now based at the new Holy Trinity Academy in Priorslee.

Shepherd Construction, known as Wates, designed and built six new schools and remodelled three under the BSF programme, which was established as part of a plan to transform secondary education in the borough.

Other schools affected by the investment include Holy Trinity Academy, Telford Priory School, Abraham Darby Academy in Madeley, Phoenix Academy in Dawley, which is now called Telford Langley School, and Ercall Wood Technology College, Wellington.

Grange Park Primary school is currently being rebuilt on the site of the old Lord Silkin/Lakeside Academy site and will open early 2017.