Work begins on new Silsden school site

Article in T & A – 30 January 2020

Contractors have moved on to the site of the new Silsden Primary School in readiness for construction work.

Galliford Try Building have taken possession of the land off Hawber Cote Lane and have written to nearby residents outlining their immediate plans.

The company, which employs 3,500 staff across the UK, said it hoped residents would face as little disruption as possible before the project was completed in summer 2021.

Stephen McFadden, Galliford Try’s senior project manager for the Silsden school, said his team would first create entrances at the site to allow safe access and departure of construction and delivery vehicles.

He said: “We will provide parking for the site workforce to take vehicles off Hawber Cote Lane. We will prioritise the construction of our on-site parking to free up local roads as soon as physically possible.

“The early activities in construction will be the earthwork excavation of the school building footprint, car park and internal road, together with provision of a new drainage connection on Banklands Lane.”

An on-call road sweeper will be available to deal with any dirt transferred from the site onto local roads during the set-up.

Galliford Try plans a community event in the next few months, with Bradford Council officers, to give more information and answer questions. The company will issue updates every three months.

Residents can also discuss concerns about the day-to-day running of the construction site by calling Mr McFadden on 01924 245677.

Cllr Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said the building of the primary school was “very good news” for parents and children in Silsden.

He said: “The new school will provide a much improved internal and external educational environment for children to learn. It will also provide a fantastic facility for the community.

“We’re working with the construction company to minimise any local disruption and keep residents up-to-date on progress.”

Clrl Adrian Naylor, who sits on Bradford and Silsden councils, said the new school should secure the future of primary education for all children in Silsden.

But he said: “It’s unfortunate that it will be September 2021 for the first pupils will be able to start there. It was five years ago when we started looking at expanding one of the Silsden schools.”

The new school campus on the outskirts of Silsden will replace two cramped school buildings in the town centre, and will cater for up to 640 pupils.

Residents in nearby streets have expressed concerns about potential traffic problems once a school is open.