Planners give Habberley Learning Campus green light (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Planners give Habberley Learning Campus green light

7:40am Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News By William Tomaney

AN “EXCEPTIONAL” £24.5 million learning campus has been given the green light from Worcestershire County Council planners for a site in Kidderminster.

The Habberley Learning Campus will be built on the site, already occupied by Baxter College and St John’s Primary School and will create a shared learning environment for the two school as well as Wyre Forest Special School.

The project, a collaboration between the council and contractor Speller Metcalfe, includes a special school for 220 pupils, a new science block, an early years teaching block, a residential boarding house and general refurbishment and extension of St John’s Primary School.

It will be built in stages to minimise disruption, with work starting first on the primary school, followed by the weekly boarding unit, the all-weather sports pitch, the science block and finishing with the special school.

It is hoped the whole campus will be completed by 2014.

Planners say it is the first building of its kind in the UK to meet Passivhaus standards - an energy performance standard which means buildings are designed to minimise the heating and cooling demand, providing “excellent” indoor air quality.

Conservative councillor David Thain, cabinet member with responsibility for transformation and change, said: “We are delighted this exceptional project has got the go-ahead from planners.

“Apart from benefits the local community will receive, this is a very significant project because of the Passivhaus standards.”

Jane Potter Conservative cabinet member with responsibility for education and skills, Jane Potter, added: “This is great news for pupils and families.

“It means Worcestershire will have its first fully integrated education facility that brings mainstream and special school pupils together to use the same facilities. It will cater for pupils aged between two and 19.

“Although the facilities are mainly for the pupils of the schools on site, the all-weather sports pitch and hydrotherapy pool will be available for use by the public.”

For a 3D virtual tour of the campus, visit habberleylearningcampus.blogspot.co.uk