Wetherby High: £25m Leeds school rebuild plans 'on track' as parents to be consulted
Plans to rebuild one of the oldest high schools in Leeds are said to be “on track.”
Plans to rebuild Wetherby High School, one of the oldest in Leeds, were first confirmed in 2021 after health and safety concerns were raised over the state of the current building.
Expected to cost around £25m, funding for the project now lies with the Government’s Department for Education.
While unwilling to set a firm completion date, the DfE are said to be preparing to present plans to parents by the start of the new school year in September.
.JPG?trim=127,0,128,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
Coun Norma Harrington (Conservative, Wetherby Ward) said: “Throughout the project, the DfE have been reluctant to offer exact dates for detailed project milestones, in case of slippage, and that stance has not changed recently.
“Detailed discussions are currently taking place with the School and the Council, and it is expected that more formal pre-application planning discussions will start soon.
“Information for parents should be made available in time for school open days in September.”
The current main building at Wetherby High School was built in the 1960s and is dominated by a main tower block, linked to the school hall by two footbridges.
Initial proposals for the 900-place secondary school rebuild include reducing the school land area, currently 18.3 acres, to 10.5 acres.
Coun Harrington added: “Having received regular updates from the Department for Education (DfE), Coun Alan Lamb and I have been assured the project is still currently on track and progressing as expected.
“We have had no indication of any changes in funding for this project in light of the change in government following the general election.”
Previous proposals for a new leisure centre to be built in Wetherby as part of the rebuild remain unconfirmed.