Plans submitted for new secondary school and car park

The application shows how the two projects will sit together on land off Newtown Road in Worcester.

The joint application comes from Worcestershire County Council, which is building the school, and specialist healthcare property developer Prime plc, which wants to build a new car park to serve Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

DESIGN: What the new school could look like (Image: Worcestershire County Council)

The new school is set to open for the start of the academic year in 2028 and could eventually become an eight-form entry comprehensive.

Prime says its proposed 850-space multi-storey car park will ease congestion around the hospital and address potential concerns about additional school-related traffic on Newtown Road.

The latest plans show how the car park would be accessed from Nunnery Way, while a school access road and drop-off would be built off Newtown Road.

DEVELOPMENT: How the school (to the right) and car park (the white square to the left) would sit on the Newtown Road site (Image: Worcestershire County Council)
Marcus Hart, Worcestershire’s cabinet member for corporate services and communications, said: “Submitting the planning application alongside Prime is the next step in ensuring we are able to meet the need for secondary school places in Worcester.

“Working alongside Prime also enables a joined-up approach to making best use of the wider site.”

Guy Kippen, associate development director at Prime, said: “Demand for parking at Worcestershire Royal Hospital has been an ongoing challenge for staff, patients and visitors to the hospital. 

READ MORE: Progress for secondary school and car park plans near hospital

“Through Prime’s previous experience we have identified a solution next to the hospital which improves current congestion issues and increases parking capacity.

“We will be asking planners to support proposals by granting outline planning permission for the facility, which approves the development in principle, and it being accessed via Nunnery Way.

“We will then be working alongside the hospital, county council and local community to develop more detailed designs before submitting more detailed plans in 2025.”

In November 2022, the Department for Education confirmed that Oasis Community Learning would be the preferred sponsor for the new Worcester City Secondary School.

Oasis Community Learning is a multi-academy trust with 52 academies across the country including 18 secondary schools and Oasis Academy Warndon. 

The planning reference for this application is 24/000020/REG3. To view and comment on the live application, visit: Web APAS (worcestershire.gov.uk).