Land issue almost stopped £9m Wellingborough primary school from opening on time

A £9m primary school almost did not open on time after an “11th hour issue” over land.

Stanton Cross Primary School in Wellingborough opened to its first 25 pupils in September as planned but North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) had to “push very hard” to make sure it did, a council meeting heard.

NNC agreed to build the school to serve the Stanton Cross development, which will eventually include 3,650 homes, shops, industrial space and a trade park, in August 2021.

The authority’s assistant director for education, Neil Goddard, said legal issues involving the site meant it “wasn’t certain” the school would open as expected in the run-up to welcoming its first pupils.

Mr Goddard told NNC’s schools forum: “It was about land transfer. It’s a really impressive looking school, [I] like the design. There was a public open space outside and the legalities of the transfer of that and the maintenance were the things that [held it up].

“It seems a very minor issue but it was with the legal departments of the [Department for Education], the developer (McAvoy group)] and the council. It wasn’t certain that we would get there. We pushed it very hard to make sure that we did. I don’t think it was anyone’s fault…but it was just complicated…and we got there in the end.”

The school has capacity for an eventual 420 pupils. Its first pupils for 2022/23 are members of its Reception class.