Willmott Dixon has secured planning permission for the near £50 million redevelopment of Bramhall High School in Stockport, paving the way for construction of a new three-storey secondary school to replace the existing RAAC-affected campus.
Construction is expected to begin in January 2027, with the replacement school being built alongside the existing facilities to allow teaching to continue while the major redevelopment progresses.
Designed by Sheppard Robson, the new school will accommodate 1,350 pupils on the existing 36-acre site off Seal Road. The project will consolidate the current sprawling school estate into a modern purpose-built teaching environment, while addressing problems associated with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) within the existing buildings.
Once the new building has been completed, most of the existing school estate will be demolished, although the newer maths block will be retained and incorporated into the future campus.
The replacement school will include 25 general classrooms and 10 science laboratories alongside specialist teaching facilities for drama, computing, ICT, art and design.
Five dedicated SEND classrooms will also be provided, together with an assembly hall featuring tiered seating, dining facilities, a library and new staff and support accommodation.
Sport will form another major part of the redevelopment. Indoor facilities will include a four-court sports hall, activity studio and changing accommodation, significantly improving the school’s provision for pupils and physical education.
Externally, the plans include two replacement multi-use games areas and a new 3G sports pitch, while the existing hockey pitch will be retained.
The phased construction strategy will be particularly important to the delivery of the project, allowing the existing school to remain operational while Willmott Dixon builds the replacement accommodation elsewhere on the site. The subsequent demolition and external works will then enable the wider campus to be reorganised around the new building.
The project forms part of the continuing programme of investment required across the education estate following the discovery of RAAC in school buildings around the country.
With planning now secured, the Bramhall High School redevelopment moves a significant step closer to construction, delivering modern teaching, SEND and sports facilities while replacing ageing and RAAC-affected accommodation with a more consolidated school campus for 1,350 pupils.
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