Walkden High School to receive a slice of £150 million to be rebuilt
8:05am Monday 7th September 2009 in Your Town
A NEW multi-million pound state of the art school is to be built next to a major road, sparking fears that its pupils will be exposed to dangerous air pollution.
Walkden+High+School">Walkden High School is to receive a slice of £150 million to be rebuilt under the Government’s flagship Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF).
But while the new school has been welcomed, many are angry at its location — close to the A580 East Lancs Road.
One campaigner said: “The ‘state of the art’ school will be right next to the East Lancs, the most polluted road in Salford.
“It isn’t very clever as the city has high levels of childhood asthma and bronchitis and a Lancet report states that children between the ages of nine and 18 are most susceptible to lung damage from traffic fumes, than at any other time of their lives.”
Salford Council’s planning committee has agreed to press ahead with the scheme despite admitting the air and noise pollution were legitimate concerns.
A report to the planning committee said that when the windows are open “the internal noise levels would exceed the standard set” and admitted “the A580 is a clear source of both noise and air pollution”.
A spokesman said measures were being taken to address the problems.
Special materials will be used to block sound pollution and a modern ventilation system will stop fumes affecting students while keeping the building’s classroom temperatures regulated.
Cllr John Warmisham, lead member for children’s services said: “The public has been consulted on plans for the new Walkden High School and the building has been carefully designed to take into account its surroundings.
“We’ve been able to locate the playing fields in one place away from the main road with more up-to-date and higher quality facilities for pupils and the wider community.
“An air quality assessment was submitted and carefully assessed as part of the planning application process and Sport England support the plans.”
Ward councillor Nicky Turner said: “A new school build is to be welcomed, but the location is not very good.”
This is the second time the city’s BSF programme has ran into controversy. The council is also looking to close nearby St George’s RC High School as part of the programme.
schaudhari@ theboltonnews.co.uk
