No plans to deliver new primary schools in Preston

There are no current plans to build either of the two primary schools long earmarked for a rapidly-expanding part of Preston, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

It has been seven years since a masterplan for the north west of the city proposed creating the new facilities as part of a blueprint to build around 5,500 homes in the area across a two decade period.

The blueprint also proposed a secondary school to serve the sprawling series of housing developments that were set to spring up in what was previously a rural corner of Preston. That establishment is now firmly on the horizon after Lancashire County Council’s cabinet this month agreed to pursue building it on land in Higher Bartle – if the plot can be secured by the new year from the housebuilder within whose proposed estate it has been reserved.

However, when that decision was taken, there was silence on the future of the primary schools – and now the LDRS can reveal there is no immediate prospect of them being built.

The possibility of an infant and junior school being developed on land at Cottam Hall – behind the Ancient Oak pub on Merry Trees Lane – has also been scrapped.

The use of that site – which lay just beyond the masterplan’s borders – was subject to a public consultation nearly two years ago.  However, the results were never brought back before the cabinet for a decision and now the proposal has been dropped.

The masterplan document gave only indicative locations as to where the new primary schools should be built in North West Preston – one just south of the M55 in Higher Bartle and the other off William Young Way in Cottam.

Since then, one of the school plots was reserved as part of permission granted for a 200-home development north of Tabley Lane in November 2020 and, just last month, an application for an estate of 430 homes between Sidgreaves Lane and William Young Way included space for a primary.

The county council’s current stance means neither of those sites are set to be used for their intended educational purpose anytime soon.

The authority has, however, agreed to develop a new primary school on the former site of Whittingham Hospital, expected to open in September 2026, which will initially provide 210 places and will have the capacity for twice that number.  A consultation has also recently been undertaken into the proposed expansion of Goosnargh Oliverson’s Church of England Primary School, based on an additional entry form being created from next year,  which would see the facility eventually double in size.

Both of those options were deemed to be less likely to lead to the “destabilisation” of existing local schools than the now jettisoned Cottam Hall proposal.