Brandhall Village

Why does Causeway Green primary school need to be replaced?

The replacement of Causeway Green Primary is a priority for the council. It is the worst condition school in the local area and the building is beyond its economic life. the type and age of the building does not lead itself to refurbishment, which would be very costly and would not fully resolve some of the fundamental building issues around condition, energy efficiency, and ongoing maintenance and would be equally as disruptive to pupils and staff.   

Why can’t Causeway Green school be replaced on its current site?

Consideration has been given to replacing the school on its existing site but the limited and poor site access and egress would make the new build extremely difficult to deliver and cause significant disruption to children and their families as the existing school would need to remain in use during construction. Site constraints such as the continued risk of flooding and having to design a solution around the existing school would lead to a costly solution that does not fully meet the education needs of children and teaching staff.

Where is the funding for the new school coming from?

The project would be jointly funded using School Condition funding (a DfE annual funding allocation for maintenance of the council’s maintained school estate (not academies) and from planning obligations should the site be partially developed for housing.

How many pupils would the new school have places for?

The school would remain as a 420 place 2fe (form entry) primary school with a 30 fulltime equivalent place nursery.

When could construction of a new primary school start?

The scheme would take 18 months in total with the aim of starting on site in the spring of 2023 at the latest subject to obtaining planning approval.

When would the new school be ready from?

Subject to the decision of Cabinet and any planning requirements the new school could be ready for the September 2024 academic year.

What would happen to the existing Causeway Green Primary site if it gets replaced?

Should the school be relocated, and the existing school site become surplus, the council will look to develop an option appraisal for the future use of the site. In principle, housing would be considered appropriate as it is within a predominantly residential area, however, the vehicular access to the site would require further consideration.

What and where would extra school places be provided for children who will live at Brandhall Village?

If planning approval for any residential development was granted, and the type of housing confirmed, the council would look at the number of potential school places that new homes might create. Over recent years, the council has expanded a number of local primary and secondary schools in response to a significant birth rate across the borough.

Demand for school places has eased with a fall in the latest birth rates, which will lead to a manageable surplus of places in schools that could accommodate any new demand following occupation of any new homes.

How will the council ensure that everybody has adequate access to local services (GPs etc)?

The council works with its partners, including the National Health Service at its regional level, to assess the potential levels of future demand for community services as a result of any redevelopment and compare it with the levels of existing provision. Any areas of potential shortfall of provision that are identified would then be a priority to be addressed by the partners.

How will the masterplan take in to account the impact of increase in road traffic on surrounding roads that are already busy?

Any new development would need to be supported by a full transport assessment which would identify any additional potential risk to the network in terms of injuries or congestion. Any new design would be required to provide relevant mitigation measures if required to improve safety, reduce congestion and promote sustainable travel choice.

There could be opportunities to provide sustainable routes through the development to connect existing residential developments, walking, cycling, dog walking routes as well as open space recreational areas to help deliver “Big Plans for a Great Place” from the council’s Corporate Plan and encourage active travel.

What junctions in the local area are at capacity and how will more housing impact on these junctions?

There are two major transport projects being developed which will address the capacity issues on the A4123. These are the major upgrade of Birchley Island which is fully funded, and the A4123 Corridor upgrade which forms part of the West Midlands bid for government funding through the City Region Sustainable Transport Fund. The forecast modelling for both these projects includes the potential development of the Brandhall site.

How will the proposed development impact on existing flooding along the A4123 south of the junction with Causeway Green Road which already poses a flood risk, and how is the cumulative impact of other developments in the area taken into account?

Any planning application would be required to provide a full Flood Risk Assessment and provide suitable mitigation measures for not only the site but to ensure nothing downstream is affected by the proposals.

Any development would also need to embed from the start the principles of sustainable drainage design. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) would attenuate surface water flows prior to discharging to a watercourse and so prevent increased flood risk. They would also provide water quality treatment for pollutants that may be conveyed to the watercourse, such as dissolved metals and sediments from roads and driveways. They also provide an opportunity for habitat creation and increased biodiversity. Examples of SuDS include wetlands, ponds, swales and bioretention systems.

How will the proposed development impact on air pollution in an area already identified as an Air Quality Management Area?

There would be a need to model and monitor the air quality based upon the preferred option for this site.  The masterplan options include the retention of trees where possible and identify mitigation measure to ensure natural features are incorporated into any new development options.  The introduction of a well-designed park would allow access for a range of ages and abilities to ensure everybody can benefit from outdoor leisure opportunities.

The masterplan options put forward encourage more active travel with the introduction of walking and cycling routes to provide additional transport choices to and through the area.

How will the proposal address potential increase in accidents on the A4123 due to increased access requirements?

Any new development would need to be supported by a full transport assessment which will identify any additional potential risk to the network in terms of injuries or congestion. Any new design would be required to provide relevant mitigation measures if required to improve safety, reduce congestion and promote sustainable travel choice