Leyland Seven Stars Primary School demolished to make way for brand new facilities

A school in Leyland is being demolished to make way for brand new facilities.

Seven Stars Primary School in Peacock Hall Road is being flattened as part of the government’s school rebuilding programme. 

The project will see the two existing, single-storey buildings on the site demolished and a new part-single and part two-storey facility erected in their place.

The revamped and 'zero carbon' school will boast 10 new classrooms, an outdoor learning and habitat area, a new playground and a new multi-use games area (MUGA), while the majority of the existing trees that screen the building from the properties opposite will be retained.

In order to keep the 223-pupil school in operation during the works, the demolition will be done in phases, with some pupils housed in a temporary structure containing three classrooms. Once the new building is complete, the temporary one will be removed.

The soon-to-be demolished facilities were constructed almost 60 years ago and are no longer ”fit for purpose”, said the school.

They were larger than required for the one-form entry school, whose pupil and staff numbers will not change as a result of the redevelopment.

Construction was due to start last summer with the project expected to be completed in late 2024. It's not clear whether the delay in work commencing will delay the opening of the new Seven Stars Primary School.

Mike Mitchell, headteacher at Seven Stars Primary School, said: “We are thrilled at Seven Stars School to be part of a project that will ensure an exciting future for all our children and for the generations to come.

"Our vision has always been to put children first and this new development will create a learning environment that is fit for the future.

"We are especially proud to be among the first 50 net zero carbon schools in the country and we are looking forward to the many opportunities that lie ahead for our children, families and staff in our newly designed school.”

South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher said she was pleased to see such a “major investment” being made in Seven Stars Primary through the school rebuilding programme.

“I made the case to the Department for Education that the school needed new buildings as a priority after I visited it and I am delighted my work has paid off.

“It is vital Leyland pupils have modern facilities that allow them to learn in comfort and that are energy efficient, too.

“I am looking forward to visiting soon to see progress. This is an exciting project that will make a huge difference to education in Leyland and it is also in addition to money to rebuild Wellfield senior school from the same government fund,” Ms. Fletcher said.

The new multi-use games area (MUGA) sparked some concern from the school’s nearest neighbours, councillors were told when when the plans came before the South Ribble's planning committee last year.

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Concerns over parking

Seven Stars ward councillor Jane Bell had said that while locals agreed that “all children should be taught in a safe, warm and fit-for-purpose building”, they feared that existing parking problems would be worsened by the MUGA, which will be open for community use.

South Ribble planning case officer Janice Crook said that a community response to the authority’s consultation on the plans had described parking as “a huge issue, with parents blocking driveways [and] coaches for swimming lessons and teacher parking all causing problems”.

However, she said that Lancashire County Council highways officials had not raised any objection to the plans and noted that an 18-space car park, two disabled parking bays and a minibus drop-off area would all be provided.

Planning Committee member Haydn Willaims added that any parking issues would remain “whether the school gets [re]built or not”, while Cllr Bell acknowledged that headteacher Mike Mitchell issued helpful “reminders” to parents about parking responsibly.

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However, South Ribble’s environmental health team had broader concerns about the overall impact of the MUGA on nearby properties and so have insisted on a condition restricting its use - for both the school and the wider community - to between 9am and 6pm on weekdays and from 9am until 1pm on Saturdays.

Committee member Will Adams said that he believed the new school would have “an amazing impact” on current and future pupils, while fellow member Peter Mullineaux added that it could only “enhance” the local community - and the application was unanimously approved.