Work starts on urban village’s school

Work has started on building Loxdale Primary School at Bilston Urban Village.

Bowmer & Kirkland are constructing the purpose-built facility as part of City of Wolverhampton’s school expansion plans and it is expected to be open in time for the start of the new school year in September 2019.

It will help meet the extra demand for places from the new housing development.

The school will move from its current building in Chapel Street to the new location on land between Dudley Street and Bankfield Road.

It has enabled reception class admissions to double from 30 to 60 each year.

Up to 500 homes are being built across the Bilston Urban Village site, with Countryside named as the preferred developer for the 27-acre site off Coseley Road.

Kier has completed its development of 78 homes, comprising one, two, three and four-bedroom properties, on two other Bilston Urban Village plots either side of the entrance to Carder Crescent.
City of Wolverhampton Council cabinet member for education and skills, Cllr Lynne Moran, said: “Demand for places in our schools has increased significantly in recent years, showing people want to live and be educated in our growing city.

“Despite the successful creation of over 2,500 additional primary school places since 2012, further expansion is required and the development of the new Loxdale Primary School has an important role to play in meeting the needs of our growing population.”

City of Wolverhampton Council cabinet member for city economy, Councillor John Reynolds added: “The development of almost 500 homes on the Bilston Urban Village site will make a significant impact in achieving our housing targets in the City of Wolverhampton.

“The programme is more than that though. It is about creating a sustainable place where people want to live and work. The council has spent a lot of time making sure there is good road access and ensured that the new housing will be well connected to the town centre with a bus-only link, cycleways, pedestrian routes and green spaces.

“The urban village is a key part of the wider regeneration of the city, bringing new homes, new jobs and more investment. It demonstrates our commitment to Bilston and ensures it will continue to be a thriving area.”

Bilston Urban Village will be connected by around 14 hectares of land designated for public open space and nature conservation, with walking and cycling routes.

The first phases of Bilston Urban Village produced significant investment in the building of the Bert Williams Leisure Centre and South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy. A commercial development plot fronting the Black Country Route and the newly-named Bert Turner Boulevard linking the site with the town centre was also created.

This has been followed by the opening of the Marston’s family pub/restaurant, the White Rabbit.