Parkway Middle School Haverhill land sale raises concerns

The Parkway Middle School site in Park Road, Haverhill, which has been closed since August 2011, has appeared on Rightmove marketed by Lambert Smith Hampton London.

The 9.9 acre site, which belongs to Unity Schools Partnership and is currently home to the trust's head office, includes the former school buildings and playing fields.

The former Parkway Middle School site, which is up for sale listed with capacity for 100 homes (Image: Google maps)

The Rightmove listing states it is suitable for residential development including around 100 homes. 

Cllr David Smith, who represents Haverhill South on West Suffolk Council, said: "The need for another 100 homes in Haverhill is, in my opinion, highly debatable especially with the larger developments to the north east and north west of the town that are currently being built out.

"We cannot simply keep adding to the population of the town without providing the necessary infrastructure.

"The old Parkway Middle School is home to a number of much needed community organisations, and any plans to develop this site should include the provision to accommodate such groups and make this a true focus of the community.

"If housing were to be allowed on the site it should include a high proportion of affordable housing, particularly for social renting," he added.

Cllr David Smith (Image: West Suffolk Council)

In order to sell the site, Unity Schools Partnership, which is also the trust behind many other Suffolk schools including Castle Manor Academy and Samuel Ward Academy, had to get permission from the Department for Education. 

As part of that permission, all proceeds of the sale of the land must be reinvested into upgrading school buildings at nearby Castle Manor Academy in Eastern Avenue.

Cllr Smith said: "Whilst I welcome the much needed extra educational capacity that is being proposed, it is disappointing that the development is being clustered around the already congested Eastern Avenue access to the site, when there is the potential to use Park Road."

Cllr Pat Hanlon (Image: WSC)

And Cllr Pat Hanlon, who represents Haverhill East on West Suffolk Council, said: "I would like a newly built school on the old Parkway Middle School site, with a safe drop off area and a less density housing."

He said the Castle Manor site could then be freed up for housing that would give 'adequate space' for parking in the area and not on the surrounding roads.

A spokesperson for Unity Schools Partnership said: "We have long identified the need to improve and modernise existing facilities at Castle Manor Academy and the sale of Park Road would allow us to push ahead with these plans.

"We look forward to being in a position to announce the site of our new premises in Haverhill in the near future.

"We are delighted that we are able to stay in the town where the Trust started in 2013."

They added: “The trust is working with all those it has invited to use the building to find alternative premises for their activities.”

A Suffolk County Council spokesperson said they have no ownership of either the Parkway or Castle Manor site as they were both transferred to the academy trust in 2012.

"However, we do work closely with the trust and have confirmed that Parkway is not required for further education purposes at this time," they said.

"We currently have appropriate levels of primary places available in the town and are likely to have new primary school provision developed to mitigate the proposed new housing across Haverhill if it comes forward as planned.

"In terms of secondary, similarly, places are not an issue in the town currently and the rebuild of Castle Manor will allow for further expansion of that school to mitigate any future housing growth.

"The Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme project is leading the rebuild location of Castle Manor."