South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet has agreed £3.84 million of funding to create new gymnastics and netball facilities on the former Grange school site in Warmley.
Work is currently underway on the site to enable new homes, a new primary school and improved walking and cycling infrastructure to connect the new developments to the wider community. This latest addition of new sports facilities will add further enhancements to the development and is also a big step forward in aiding Majestic Gymnastics’ efforts to find a new home.
A planning application is due to be submitted soon for the refurbishment of the former school sports hall. The proposed works include the addition of a single storey extension, the addition of a café, improved accessibility and general re-purposing of the existing facilities. The existing building fabric will also be repaired and upgraded.
The site is already home to the Digitech School and on the southern part of the land, the council has identified the location for a new two-form entry primary school, which will ultimately accommodate 420 children. The aim is for the school’s construction to begin in 2023 and for the first pupils to be able to start lessons in September 2024.
The northern playing field will be redeveloped for housing, generating between 150-200 units. 35 per cent of these properties will be affordable and a further proportion will be custom/self-build homes, for which there is a growing demand in South Gloucestershire. We anticipate that, subject to the formal planning process, people will be able to move into new homes here in 2025.
Work is continuing to progress well on the wider site, a contractor has been appointed for the initial demolition works including removal of fire damaged elements. Detailed design of the new bridge, including the obtaining of planning consent, is underway and we are aiming for installation by the end of Spring 2023.
Leader of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Toby Savage said: “We’ve held a long-standing ambition to redevelop this brownfield site in Warmley and I am delighted we have been able to approve this funding which will provide excellent new sports facilities alongside the plans for new housing and a brand-new school. The Council has been working hard to help the outstanding Majestics Gymnastics Club find a new home and this decision is certainly a step in the right direction.
“The vision for this new community is for it to be socially inclusive, connected to the wider area and have a range of recreational opportunities and open spaces for the benefit of the people of Warmley. The mix of different types of homes will help meet the need for quality houses for local people and the next generation of this growing community.
“As plans come forward and planning permission is sought, the community will have the opportunity to have their say on proposals. We are already engaged with local people, which has helped shape our vision for the site and how it links to the wider Warmley area. We look forward to further developing the detailed plans and to sharing them with the community.”
Candice Littleton and Michelle George, owners of Majestics Gymnastics, said: “It is fantastic news that the Council has been able to make this substantial investment to deliver brand new and exciting sporting facilities at the former Grange School. We are truly grateful for all the effort the Council continues to put into helping us find a permanent home, with this investment being a very big step.”
The new sports elements will cost £3.84 million and are part funded by a Section 106 developer contribution of £435,000.
The total investment for the Grange site is now £10.51 million including grant funding of £4.65 million from Homes England and £2.02 million from the Brownfield Land Release Fund via the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA) One Public Estate programme.
