The County Council is consulting on proposals to build a primary school serving new housing developments in Knaresborough.
The proposed new school and nursery will provide 210 places for pupils aged three to 11, with the capacity to expand the school to take in a total of 420 children if needed in the future.
The main catchment area for the school will be Knaresborough’s new Manse Farm development, where building work has already begun. The site, which received planning permission for 600 homes in 2017, is expected to have its first residents moving in during 2021/22. It will also take in children from the proposed Highfield Farm housing development and provide additional places for the wider Knaresborough area, where local schools are becoming increasingly over-subscribed.
Executive Member for Education and Skills, Cllr Patrick Mulligan, said:
The Harrogate Local Plan has identified that in the medium to long term approximately 1,400 properties will be built over time in Knaresborough. None of the existing schools in the area have the capacity to absorb so many new pupils, so a new school in the area looks like it will be increasingly needed over the coming years to meet demand.
People now have the opportunity to give their views on whether the proposed size and age range of a new school is suitable and the catchment area it would serve.
The school will be a state-funded academy, in line with Department for Education guidance, and an opening date has been provisionally set for September 2022.
Planning permission for the building was granted on 11 June 2020 and now the remaining processes in establishing the school are underway.
Procurement for building work has not yet begun, but it is expected to cost in the region of £5m to £6m to develop, which will be funded by the Government, with a £2m contribution from the developer.
The consultation will run until 5pm on October 23. To take part, visit; https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/proposed-new-school-manse-farm-knaresborough
