Bolton: The Olive Primary School plans have been given the green light

The Olive Primary School will be built on the site of a former community and day centre after it was given the green light by Bolton Council's planning committee.

The Department of Education (DfE) submitted an application on behalf of The Olive Primary School to the council at the end of last year.

The Olive Primary School opened in 2016, at Ashton House on Waterloo Street, a site described as dangerous by some due to its location close to the A666.

And now as part of the plans, the school is to be moved to the site of the Jubilee Centre on Tennyson Street, with the community centre and day centre to developed at the site of the former Firwood School in Tonge Moor.

The application, for outline planning permission rather than full planning permission, stated: "The DfE and Bolton Council explored a number of permanent site options, and the Jubilee Pool was identified as the preferred site for the trust [Star Academies]."

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Speaking on behalf of the DfE at the planning committee, Claire Pegg said: “The Olive Primary School is a mix gendered, faith based primary school committed to promoting educational excellence, character development and service to communities within a caring and secure environment.

“The proposed development will form an integral part of Bolton Council’s strategy to increase primary school capacity.

“The proposal represents sustainable development and will provide a range of social, economic, and environmental benefits.

Jubilee Centre (Image: Newsquest)

“There is a significant need for additional school places in Bolton, economically the development will generate jobs during the construction period as well as once the school is operational, and environmentally, reviews have concluded there is no adverse impact on the character of the area, local amenity, land contamination, highways, parking, flood risk adversity or crime.

“The Olive School is committed to providing a high-quality education for its pupils and the delivery of the permanent school site will ensure that Bolton’s basic educational needs can be achieved.”

The school is to be three storeys and almost 10 metres tall, with a car park, drop-off, and pick-up zone, play area and multi-use games area.

All access is to be one-way, with an entrance on Darley Street and an exit on Tennyson Street.

Three residents opposed the proposal for several reasons from overdevelopment to the impact on traffic and during the planning committee, Cllr Elaine Sherrington also debated about the construction of the school regarding the three storeys as the children would have to go up and down the stairs, which she believes is not appropriate.

She said: “I know that it is only an outline application so anything could happen between now and then however I do think having a primary school over three layers just doesn’t work.

Jubilee Centre (Image: Newsquest)

“I think that it should be deferred to look into actually whether this sort of practice should happen and have a look at where this sort of practice goes on anywhere else in the country and I do think that having children at that age going up and down stairs is not a good idea.”

Cllr John Walsh and Cllr Andy Morgan said they were in favour of the approval, with Cllr Morgan stating if the Department for Education did not feel it was an appropriate design, they would not push it forward’ and there are several schools in London, Birmingham or Manchester which have three, four or five storeys.

The planning committee voted to approve the outline plans.