Academy is win-win up north

Oldham Planning Committee
ROYTON’S new £16million academy has been given the go-ahead.

The planning application for the Oldham Academy North building which will open in September, 2013, was approved by councillors.

It will be built on the Broadway/Rochdale Road corner of the current Our Lady’s High School and the existing school will be demolished.

The three-storey building has three wings with large windows, a glazed entrance and pedestrian plaza.

It includes a central open space which can be used for performances, lectures, assemblies and informal seating.

Outside there are performance areas, a full-sized floodlit artificial football/hockey pitch, a grass playing field with small football pitches, four floodlit games areas and a playing field with a cricket wicket, two five-a-side pitches and summer athletics facilities.

The existing sports hall will be refurbished and there will be 120 parking spaces in front of the school.

Separate pedestrian and vehicle access on Broadway will include a bus turning circle. Oldham Academy North replaced Grange School in September and is currently operating in the existing buildings. Its capacity will rise from 825 to 1,200 pupils when it moves into the new school.

The development is part of Oldham’s multi-million-pound Building Schools for the Future initiative which will also see Our Lady’s pupils move into a new Catholic high school in Chadderton in September, 2012.

James Hurstle, from builders Willmott Dixon, said the facilities would also be used by the community.

He added: “It’s designed to bring in the local community and break down barriers that are often created when you bring an academy like this into an area.”