Plans for a new high school in Stoke-on-Trent have been given the green light by city councillors.

Members of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's planning committee unanimously approved proposals for the Florence MacWilliams Academy, which is earmarked for land previously part of Longton High School and the former Meir Sports and Social Club in Meir.

The school and sixth form will eventually provide places for up to 1,150 pupils. But it would initially open to Year Seven pupils in the first year – and the first cohort would be taught in temporary accommodation from September 2024 before moving to the permanent development.

Facilities are set to include a 3G pitch, playing fields, four multi-use games areas and a running track. And parents of primary school-age children are already requesting places at the school, the planning committee heard on Tuesday (November 28).

The new school and sixth form will provide places for over 1,000 children (Bowmer and Kirkland).

Elizabeth Clewlow, founder and principal designate of the new school, told committee members the development was "a multi-million-pound investment for the betterment of our city". She added: "Stoke-on-Trent is where I grew up and where I'm raising my own children.

"Speaking as a mother, our children deserve the best education this country has to offer. Florence seeks to do this, offering our children something optimistic and completely new.

"We will enable every child that crosses our threshold access to top-tier education, regardless of their background or economic circumstances. This proposal involves the development of a secondary school from scratch; a blank canvas from which a highly-ambitious, innovative educational institution has been designed for our city.

"It aims to address the urgent need for high-quality school places that will serve local children from Meir, Parkhall, Weston Coyney and surrounding communities, many of which are currently forced over the border to take up places in schools outside of their community. Current Year Six parents have requested a school place – parents who are desperate for this school to open and believe in the power of education to shape their children's lives.

"Florence will place strong emphasis on character development and life skills, fostering an inclusive and nurturing environment that celebrates and embraces diversity. Our comprehensive approach for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will offer tailored support services that will ensure every child really does matter."

The plans received 140 objections from residents and two petitions against the application (Bowmer and Kirkland).

Stoke-on-Trent City Council received 47 letters in favour of the proposals. But there were also 140 objections and two petitions against the application.

Resident Kim Bull, who spoke in objection to the plans at Tuesday's meeting, said: "Over the years Meir has struggled with a poor reputation, often accepting unfavourable circumstances without question. Nevertheless a shift in attitude has occurred in recent years, with community-led initiatives and outreach programmes.

"Since the Covid pandemic we've seen social prescribers within that community place an even higher value on the benefits of free to use green open space on our mental wellbeing. Whilst acknowledging the increasing demand for school places in the area, we do not believe that the proposed site is a suitable location for several reasons.

"The size and scope of the proposed planning application are considerable. The construction of this school, with its attached sports facility, would irreversibly damage the wildlife habitats and populations in this area.

"Nobody would associate Meir with deer, birds of prey, seven species of bat and a large badger population but we have them on this very site. Weston Sprink and the adjoining fields have been used by many generations for recreation, informal games and dog walking.

"Four-way lights, two extra pedestrian crossings and modifications to the A50 slip-roads will ensure Meir becomes little more than a car park. Had you visited the site during peak traffic times, you would have witnessed a much truer picture of the traffic chaos we face on a daily basis."

Concerns were also raised at the meeting about the new development's impact on access to a property on Weston Road, as well as the route around the school, lack of wider access links and loss of trees and playing field facilities. But committee members agreed that the development's benefits outweighed these issues after going on a visit to the site on Tuesday.

Councillor Ross Irving said: "I've been the ward councillor for Weston Coyney and Parkhall for eight years. Over a number of years I've been contacted by parents, some of them quite distraught, because of the allocations that they've received for school places.

"Some of their offspring have been offered places at the other end of the city, some have been offered places in neighbouring boroughs. I have attended appeal hearings on a number of occasions to try and get their first choices agreed with and I have witnessed first-hand how distressing it is for parents to have a situation where they cannot get their child into a local school.

"That's the main reason for my belief that this proposal – although it isn't perfect and I recognise there are some issues – is a local school for local children. It is desperately needed not only in the Meir area but further afield – Weston Coyney, Meir Hay, Parkhall and even going down to Moss Green and Sandford Hill.

"It's an absolutely vital scheme for the advancement of pupils' learning in this part of the city. It's something I know our MP has been pushing for for a considerable number of years and we are at the point now where it could come to fruition."

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