AN outstanding primary is close to finally having a new purpose built school - bringing to an end the long running saga of children being taught on an "unfit" site.
A new build for The Olive Primary, which opened in 2016, could be developed at the site of a community centre and swimming pool.
Plans have been submitted to build the permanent home for the 420-pupil Olive Primary School at the current site of the Jubilee Day Centre, Tennyson Street, Halliwell.
The facilities at the Jubilee centre, including its swimming pool, which is open to the community, will be replaced by a new £5.7m day centre currently under construction at the former Firwood School site, off Crompton Way.
Last week Bolton Council granted a 125-year lease to The Department for Education on the Jubilee pool site at a peppercorn rent.
Councillors heard that the The Olive School was currently using temporary leased accommodation and an application was received from Star Academies Trust under the Government’s Free Schools Building Programme for a new school building on the site of the obsolete Jubilee pool.
The council said ‘the new Olive School building would provide 420 permanent school places in a modern school which would improve the quality of primary education provision for Bolton’.
In the same week a planning application for the school was published by the council.
The school currently operates from a converted offices at Ashton House, Waterloo Street for which temporary planning permission for that use will expire in July 2024.
The planning application, stated: “The DfE and Bolton Council explored a number of permanent site options for the school and the Jubilee pool was identified as the preferred site for the trust.
“This application therefore seeks outline planning permission for the demolition of the current facilities on the site and the erection of the purpose-built primary school which will be the permanent home for
Olive Primary School.”
The documents show plans for a three-storey building along with a multi-use games area, soft and hard play areas, staff car parking; and designated drop off and pick up zones.
Vehicle access to the site would be one way, with access from Darley Street and the exit on to Tennyson Street.
The development will include 44 car parking spaces.
After neighbours were leafleted about the development four responses were received.
The main concerns raised related to the impact on the road network and the potential traffic congestion that the proposal could create.
As part of the application new traffic survey data will be collected to assess the potential impact on the road network and the requirement of any mitigation.
Planners at Bolton Council will now consider the plans.
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