£6.7m new school proposed

A £6.7 million new primary school will be built on part of the site of Manchester City FC’s former Maine Road stadium in Moss Side if plans are endorsed by councillors on Wednesday 25 June.

Members of the City Council's top-level Executive will be asked to approve plans for the establishment of a new 420-place Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided school with a 60-place nursery.

The proposed new school would open on 1 September 2009 and boast futuristic design features and state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities.

It would merge the existing St Edward's RC School and Bishop Bilsborrow RC Primary School, both of which are currently in poor quality and unsuitable accommodation. The governing bodies of both schools are in full support of the idea.

The proposed new school on the Maine Road site is a crucial element in the masterplan to transform the area for the benefit of existing and new residents. Housing quality and choice is being improved by the creation of 444 new homes in Lowry Homes's Maine Place development. There are also proposals for a new Manchester Primary Care NHS Trust health centre on the former stadium site.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Executive Member for Children's Services, said: "This new school is set to be another exciting step in the transformation of Moss Side. It would give young people the very best environment for learning, helping improve educational standards as well as supporting other developments in the area."

Councillor Alistair Cox, chair of the Maine Road Steering Group, said: "The regeneration of Moss Side is gaining strong momentum, with the popularity of homes at the Maine Place demonstrating confidence in the area's future. This is another major step forward and we welcome the benefits that the school would bring to the wider community."

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