No new high school for Calderdale even though thousands of extra homes could be on the way

The Government has told Calderdale Council to scrap plans for a new secondary school in Brighouse, saying it is “not required”.

The bid for a new high school was part of the Local Plan and aimed at ensuring enough school places for the children of families moving into the thousands of new homes proposed.

Most of the houses are planned in Brighouse, Clifton, Greetland, Hipperholme, Northowram and Shelf.

Trinity MAT – who were to open a free school, Trinity Academy Brighouse – will be asked to withdraw their application.

According to a council document updating the progress on the Local Plan, the authority received a letter back in August from the Department for Education saying a new secondary school is not required.

The letter said there is sufficient capacity in existing secondary schools to meet the planned future demand.

“I have now decided that it is appropriate to request that Trinity MAT withdraw their application to open the Trinity Academy Brighouse free school,” says the letter.

"The primary reason for this decision is the projected demand for school places in the area.

"While I appreciate that the Calderdale Local Plan has proposed various developments in the area, the data provided by your officers – which includes the projected increases in the demand for school places which will be generated by the new housing developments – demonstrates that there is likely to be sufficient capacity in local secondary schools to meet this demand.

"I have therefore concluded that it would be inappropriate to support the opening of a new secondary school in this area, due to a lack of basic need.”

Council officers had been helping identify sites for a proposed new free school.

The deadline to take part in the final public consultation on the borough’s Local Plan has been extended.

People now have until 5pm on Friday, October 21 to submit feedback. This can be done on the council’s website.