Green light for new secondary school near Leamington

Plans to build a new secondary school on land in Bishop's Tachbrook have been given the green light by councillors.
The site where the proposed new secondary could be builtThe site where the proposed new secondary could be built
The site where the proposed new secondary could be built

It will form part of the huge multi-million pound Europa Way scheme that will also see Leamington Football Club relocated to a new purpose-built stadium, the running track moved from Edmondscote to a new location with the former site being turned into a new public park, and new primary and special needs schools built.

Councillors at this week’s executive committee at Warwick District Council voted in favour of a series of recommendations to allow the project to move forward.

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Portfolio holder for housing and property Cllr Peter Phillips (Con Budbrooke) said it was a major scheme for the region.

“This is one of the most exciting developments for Warwick that this executive will bring forward,” he explained.

“It all started two or three years ago with a decision to build a new stadium for Leamington Football Club but it’s not just about the stadium. It’s about building additional affordable homes in the area, it’s about relocating the athletics track and about putting a special education needs school and primary school on the site.

“The bonus that we have been able to achieve is that we are now looking to move the secondary school to Bishop’s Tachbrook rather than back-to-back with Myton School which will have a real benefit in reducing traffic.”

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He added that two country parks would be created - one to the south of Warwick and another where the Guide Dogs for the Blind and the athletics track are at the moment which could see a riverside walk linking Leamington and Warwick.

The Europa Way scheme had been discussed earlier in the week by the council’s overview & scrutiny and audit & finance committees when programme manager Padraig Herlihy outlined how the new football stadium would have multiple users.

“What we have tried really hard to do is to make sure that everything in the stadium will do at least two things because the stadium works at capacity only once or twice each week,” he explained. “So the kitchens which would serve the meals on a match night would also be a training restaurant for Warwickshire College and physio facilities that the club use will be available for NHS treatment during the day.”

Chief executive Chris Elliott said construction work on the stadium was expected to start in October 2020 with other works due to start sooner.

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“The spine road will have to happen in advance of that so there will be something happening all the way through the next few years,” he explained.

“The big thing is - when will it be finished by? The stadium will be May/June 2022 and if we can, we would like to relocate the athletics track by then because if we are successful in doing that then it coincides with the Commonwealth Games and we could try and attract training camps for some of the countries.”