Plans for rebuild of city school submitted

Plans to rebuild a primary school and nursery in Derby have been submitted to the city council.

Pear Tree Infant School would merge with Walbrook Nursery under the plans, with the new facility expected to open in 2026.

A planning application submitted by the Department for Education said consolidating the school and nursery in one building on Pear Tree Street would create more outdoor space and make the site more secure.

The new school will be built on the current one's playing fields, if approved, with the old buildings demolished once construction is complete to leave space for a replacement grass playing field.

The BBC has found hundreds of schools in the Schools Rebuilding Programme have yet to have a builder assigned to them, leading to concerns about the fate of projects which have yet to start.

Asked about Pear Tree's rebuilding, a Department for Education spokesperson said the government was "fully committed" to delivering the programme, but could not say how much the project would cost until contractors were appointed.

Pear Tree Infant School has 260 pupils, and the new building would cater for the same number of students.

The city council is hoping to make a decision on the planning application by Christmas.

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