Telford school expansion plan set to be approved

An expansion that could increase the capacity of a school by a third is likely to be approved this week.

If approved, the new block will be sited on this land, south of the existing Telford Langley School building.

The Telford Langley School, in Dawley, currently has space for 900 students, and Telford & Wrekin Council has applied to build new 14-classroom block on land to the south of the existing building.

If approved the two-storey building will allow an extra 300 places at the Duce Drive school.

Council officers recommend the borough’s Planning Committee approves when it meets on Wednesday, July 15.

The Telford Langley School, Dawley. The academy school shares a building with Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

A report before the nine-member panel says: “The Telford Langley School is a 900-place secondary school in Dawley.

“Previously known as Phoenix Academy, the existing school building was opened in 2013.

“The school was designed with extensive sports facilities to support the school’s sports specialism.

“The proposed teaching block has an internal gross floor area of 2,142 square metres comprising 14 general teaching rooms, one special educational needs room, one nurture room, two group rooms and associated supporting provisions.”

An artist's impression of the proposed 14-classroom expansion at The Telford Langley School

It adds that the section earmarked for the extension has been confirmed by both Sport England and the council’s Healthy Spaces officer as being “highly underutilised for sports”, especially given the “extensive wider facilities” available on campus.

A design statement, submitted with the application by Jake Anslow for biT Group, as planning agent for Telford and Wrekin Council, said the school had been chosen as the preferred site for expansion.

“The feasibility study concluded the most suitable option for creating 300 extra class spaces would be a separate teaching block located south of the existing school,” he wrote.

“Due to the change in levels on the site, the new teaching block sits approximately 26 metres away from the existing building and two metres lower.”

The Telford Langley School is a mixed-sex academy teaching 11 to 16-year-old students that was rated “good” after its most recent Ofsted inspection last year.

It is part of the 15-site Community Academies Trust, which includes Telford Park School and Grange Park Primary School, in Stirchley, and Telford Priory School, in Wrockwardine Wood.