A report received by the Council’s Joint Consultative Committee (Teachers) has shown that the proposed 3,400 new houses between Prestwich and Middleton would require about three new schools to be built.

The first draft of the GMSF, published last year, proposed to remove 47% of Prestwich’s Green-belt and between Parrenthorn School and Heywood Old Road with land for a total of 3,400 houses as part of the massive ‘Northern Gateway’ area of development.

The report circulated to members of the JCC showed an analysis undertaken on the impact of the plans on schooling needs. It shows that the plans would need 2 new primary schools and 1 new secondary school.

Northern Gateway – NG1(B) – South of M62
“The proposed development of up to 3,400 homes, with a yield of 714 primary age pupils and 476 secondary age pupils. Current forecasts show both primary and secondary schools in the area full to capacity, therefore all additional demand created would require additional school places.

For primary age pupils this would equate to the equivalent of 3.5fe, best served through the establishment of two new schools on the development sites.

The demand for secondary school places needs to be considered alongside the demand created by other developments in South Bury.

Additional demand from development sites across the South of the Borough, taken together with potential ongoing demand pressure from residential development in neighbouring local authorities, suggest the establishment of a new 6fe secondary school, located on this development sites.”

The next draft of the GMSF, which might or might not include this site (we don’t know) will be published in summer 2018.

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