New 'Net Zero school' closed before admitting a single pupil because of lack of children
Ben Pile discusses Labour's net zero drive
GB News
A newly built "net zero" primary school in Nottingham will never open its doors after receiving just a handful of applications from prospective pupils.
Waterside Primary Academy, which was designed to accommodate 210 pupils and 30 nursery-age children, has had its funding withdrawn by the Department for Education.
The school was set to welcome its first students last September as one of Britain's first educational facilities built under new net zero guidance.
The project, which was to be operated by the Greenwood Academies Trust, has now been abandoned before admitting a single pupil.
The primary school has had its funding withdrawn by the Department for Education
X/ Greenwood Academies Trust
The trust has withdrawn from the agreement and is seeking alternative uses for the 1,400-square-metre site.
The school was designed with extensive sustainable features, including air-source heat pumps, solar panels and windcatchers for natural ventilation.
Building specialist Reds10 was appointed as the main contractor in 2021, with HLM Architects providing design services and MAC Consulting overseeing landscape design.
The project formed part of the Department for Education's £3 billion "offsite schools framework", which aims to build 30 schools annually using low-carbon construction methods.
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While the total cost remains unknown, a pre-construction services agreement awarded to Reds10 in 2022 alone cost more than £629,000.
The school was one of five projects Reds10 was delivering, with the company stating it would supply "over £45 million of works" across these developments.
The school's failure stems from significantly lower demand than anticipated from the nearby 350-home Nottingham Waterside Trent Basin development.
Despite properties in the development costing up to £500,000, most residents are older couples and young professionals without children.
"I can only think of a handful of families with school-age children living here so I am not surprised the school shut before it even opened," said one local resident.
The resident added: "It seems an awful waste of money and something which really should have been foreseen."
The development was expected to provide the majority of pupils for the new school, but the demographic makeup of the residents has made this impossible.
A spokesman for Greenwood Academies Trust said recent conversations revealed "there is not sufficient demand for this school to fulfil the rigorous criteria for meeting place planning needs".
Nottingham City Council confirmed it was "in discussions with the department about the best way forward for the site"
PAThe trust said it would recommend "an alternate use for the site which will benefit the educational landscape of the area".
The Department for Education confirmed ministers had accepted the trust's withdrawal request from the pre-opening stage.
"Our priority is to establish schools where there is a need for places and ensure government funding is targeted to where it is most needed," a DfE spokesman said.
Nottingham City Council confirmed it was "in discussions with the department about the best way forward for the site".
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