Councillors back plans to demolish the 'decrepit' current facilities St Leonard’s Catholic School.
Demolition work is expected to begin in the next few weeksHundreds of pupils at St Leonard's Catholic School, in Durham, have been taught in temporary accommodation including a PE hall and a hotel since Raac was discovered last August.
The latest plans for the demolition of several buildings and construction of replacement facilities have now been approved by Durham County Council and should be completed by 2027.The school's Springwell Hall and sixth form building, which are unaffected, will be retained.Approval comes after an application to demolish disused buildings elsewhere on the site was approved last month.
Broken windows and cold classrooms were some of the conditions facing pupils and staff, according to theChair of governors Jim Cunningham described the school as "decrepit, unsightly, and by far one of the worst teaching and learning environments I’ve witnessed in over 20 years".he was "stunned at the level of deterioration across the school facilities, which aren't fit for the 20th Century let alone the 21st".
St Leonard's officials say students must be in part of the new site no later than April 2026, as any delays will have a "catastrophic impact" on that year's GCSE cohort.Grenville Holland, chairman of City of Durham Parish Council, said: "It's not appropriate for such a sensitive and closed site within the Durham Conservation Area.
The planning committee voted unanimously to approve the proposal, with Conservative Patricia Jopling saying she thought the developers had "done as much as they can to mitigate the effect on residents".
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