Steve Beasant

Yesterday at the Planning Committee, permission was granted for the new build Havelock Academy within the existing Academy grounds. The building will replace the existing Academy buildings, with exception of the existing sports building and swimming pool. Thereafter, the rest of the Academy will be demolished; following demolition the area occupied by the existing Academy buildings will be landscaped and used for sports activities. 

The new Academy will provide 900 places for students aged 11-16, plus a further 200 places in a sixth form facility for students aged 16-18. The Academy will have eight forms of entry based on House Tutor Groups, with specialisms in Mathematics, Computing and Technology delivered through the International Baccalaureate programme. 

Following consultation with the authority and local resident’s access to the new building will be similar to the existing arrangements, with all pedestrian and vehicular access being from Holyoake Road. There will also be a dedicated access for cyclists from Unity Road.

The inherent flexibility and zoning of the design will allow use of the facilities by the Academy and the wider community, especially the sports building and swimming pool. At the centre of the new academy will be a new double height lecture theatre that will also available for community use. 

Several renewable technologies have been incorporated into the scheme, in order to satisfy current requirements for energy conservation. The most significant of these will be a biomass boiler. This will be the lead heat source, supplying heat for space heating and hot water provision. 

Within the grounds they is also incorporated an amphitheatre, a maze, play areas, a pond, and the school also intends to make use of the adjoining allotments. 

Speaking at the Planning Meeting, Councillor Steve Beasant said: “I have no hesitation moving this application. 

“For once I am really excited about a Planning application and the Every Child Matters Agenda; this planning application for the very first time since I left school makes me enthusiastic – I want to go back to school. I can now see the importance of schools design on the curriculum and the Every Child Matters Agenda. 

“This is why I am excited, because when you look at these plans; it is great to see the amount of detail gone into designing the sport’s facilities, the play area – this will hopefully help us begin to tackle the obesity agenda. Every single sport is taken into account. 

“It will be a total learning environment, the whole package is superb and our officers along with the school and developers need congratulating for this innovative design. 

“Hopefully, this new school will begin to raise aspiration within the local area, they now have a good leadership team and many good teachers; a new school is only building blocks but it should continue the schools improvement journey and attract further quality staff to the area. 

“I am very pleased that this new school will help to raise aspiration and educational standards of many of the children from the East Marsh.”