A NEW secondary school is to be built next to the new Rivermead Leisure Complex, and it will house 1,500 pupils.
The River Academy, to be run by the Maiden Erlergh Trust, will welcome 300 sixth form students, as well as pupils with additional needs when it opens in September 2023.
The plan was approved at a meeting of councillors on Wednesday, June 1, despite concerns over access to the site, and heating.
Councillor Andrew Hornsby-Smith (Labour, Church) raised the issue over travel to and from the school.
“I’m concerned that simply providing 120 cycling spaces is inadequate, particularly as there is no bus service from the west at the moment,” he said.
Currently, the only service running to Rivermead is the Reading Buses 42 route, which runs in a loop from the leisure complex to Kenavon Drive in east Reading.
The school was designed by Bowmer + Kirkland construction company which was contracted by the Department of Education.
Cllr Josh Williams (Green, Park) raised concerns over the design of the buildings: “It’s incredibly disappointing to see no green roof, to the fact that we exist in a climate emergency, or to educating our children that that is the case.
“I look at the pictures and I see a fairly boxy unattractive design in front of us.”
He said the school is “obviously needed” and that the loss of the green space was “justified” in this case.
Councillors also raised concerns over the use of gas condensing boilers to heat the school.
In the plan’s energy statement, the boilers could be replaced with air source heat pumps and further green measures being left open. Councillors were concerned these measures may not be implemented.
Cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey) said: “The hope and dream of any kind of future improved heating, air source heat pumps or PV panels on top of the roof, to me seem a pipe dream that will never be realised because we’re working on a budget here.”
She also pointed out that the school would have no access to the River Thames.
Cllr Rowland said: “I understand there’s safety issues there, but there’s just a cold lack of response to what is a local green space.”
The school was approved by Reading Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, June 1.
The application is number 212061, and can be viewed on the council’s planning website.
