Our Commercial Property team are excited to see plans taking shape for a new state-of-the-art school to be built on land at Lewis Road in Cardiff.
Lawyers at Hugh James advised Cardiff Council on the acquisition of the land at Splott Market, and the adjoining site on Portmanmoor Road, for the relocation of Willows High School – as part of the Band B 21st Century Schools’ Programme.
Under the proposals, Willows High School will be relocated from its current building, which is ageing, and rebuilt on three parcels of land at the new site, including the 3G pitches at the former tennis centre. This will provide enough space for the new school without taking away any existing open space.
The 21st Century Schools’ Programme is a Welsh Government and Cardiff Council scheme to deliver long term investment to improve the quality of school buildings. The programme aims to ensure places are available to serve local pupil demand, while reducing running costs and promoting sustainability. The new building will accommodate 900 pupils, aged 11 to 16, and will include sports facilities that the local community can access.
Over the summer, a six-week public engagement exercise sought the views of parents, pupils, stakeholders, and the local community. The engagement responses were published in a report, which went to Cardiff Council’s Cabinet on 23 September. At this meeting, the Cabinet formally approved the proposals, which gives the green light to press ahead with the development.
With these important first steps completed the project can now enter an exciting new phase.
Commenting on the progress, Partner in the Commercial Property team, Caroline O’Flaherty said today:
It was a pleasure to support Cardiff Council to obtain this site, to build what promises to be a fantastic new resource which will benefit both pupils and the entire community. This is a prime example of future thinking, sustainable planning, and partnership working that takes a holistic approach to local need. At Hugh James, we’re delighted to get involved in progressive projects like this and we look forward to charting its progress and seeing the results.
