A school is set to be demolished and replaced with a new school 12 years after proposals were approved in principle.

Ranikhet Primary School, in west Reading, will be replaced with a new two-form school with a 26-place nursery, if the recently-submitted plans are approved.

Part of the Dee Park Road Estate regeneration, which includes demolishing 376 homes and creating more than 700 new homes, the school is set to be demolished and replaced at a nearby new location opposite Spey Road.

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The new school would be built first, with the old site remaining in use until it is completed and then will be demolished.

Rankihet Academy says the plans “provide a great opportunity for the school to develop a new stronger identity and become a real focus for the wider community with improved access and facilities”.

The old school buildings are now considered at the end of their life and are "suffering badly" from repeated leaks, vandalism and other maintenance issues, while the existing layout is "not considered the most suitable academic environment".

Reading Borough Council (RBC) is the applicant for the school redevelopment and submitted the application on July 6.

Dee Park Estate regeneration: What has happened so far?

In phase one of the regeneration, 264 new homes were built, including 64 affordable homes and 64 sheltered flats, while a pub and 26 homes were demolished.

Phase two included:

  • 188 homes demolished
  • 269 new homes, with 113 affordable
  • Four shops
  • Local offices for Catalyst (housing association) and Reading Borough Council (RBC)
  • A social enterprise community café
  • A new community centre, which is still under construction

What will happen next?

As part of phase two, a new community centre is being built at a vacant site at the junction of Thurso Close and Glenmore Close.

The third and final phase will see the school demolished and replaced, around 190 new homes built, including 42 affordable homes, and 149 homes will be demolished.

The masterplan for the Dee Park Estate overhaul, approved through an outline planning application in 2009, which was amended in 2013, included a new school to the north-east of the existing site.

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However, the latest plan for the school involves building the new site where the multi-use games area sports pitch is and creating a new sports pitch to where the old building was.

There are several reasons for the planned new location for the school.

Firstly, the land to the north-east, where the school was set to move under the 2009 Masterplan, has level changes which would create access and construction issues.

Secondly, the relocation of the community centre allows for the school, multi-use pitch and synthetic pitch to be on the same site

Thirdly, there is an increased requirement for school places due to the 2013 revision of the masterplan increasing the number of family houses and the new compact footprint will meet the increased demand on a smaller site.

Finally, the new site layout allows the synthetic turf pitch to be retained and the location at the end of Spey Road “creates a focal point in the urban landscape, which allows for better passive surveillance, reinforcing safety and security on the site”.

The synthetic pitch, which was built in place of the old community centre and is currently next to the multi-use pitch, will remain where it is and be next to the new school.

A new car park will be built, with 46 car parking spaces, including three wheelchair accessible spaces and six electric charging points, while there will also be 40 cycle spaces.