New school agreed for Ferryhill Station

June 19, 2024

ferryhill-school-artist-impression-b — How the school could look. Image: DPP Planning.

Ferryhill Station Primary School, which has been beset by a “significant number of defects” including a leaking roof and damaged windows is due to be demolished and rebuilt, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.

Plans have been submitted for a replacement school to create a “new, modern, fit-for-purpose” site. It will be housed in just one building and will serve 105 pupils aged two to 11 with 13 nursery places. A new external games area will also be created.

In 2022, it was announced Ferryhill Station was one of three County Durham schools included in the government’s School Rebuilding Programme. Surveys by the Department for Education found that demolition of the existing buildings is the most viable option to provide a state-of-the-art educational facility.

A planning statement read: “The existing building fabric is generally in poor condition, and while it functions at present, there are several defects that result in demolition and rebuild being the most viable option.”

The review of the school found severe water ingress throughout the building with numerous missing roof slates. Concerns were also raised around consequential damage to timber structures elsewhere in the school. Damp was also found to have affected the condition of walls throughout the building.

The planning report added: “The timber framed windows throughout the building are in an extremely poor condition with decayed and rotten frames.”

Numerous rooms in the buildings were also found to contain asbestos.

Speaking after the funding announcement the school’s executive headteacher Joanne Sones said: “We love our little school, but it was built in the 1870s when education was very different. It is now showing its age and is in need of the kind of investment the programme will provide. We are excited for our children to have an improved environment that can support them in their learning and help them to thrive and grow. They deserve it.”