DETAILS of the long-awaited new eight-form secondary school building in Thurrock have been revealed and the local community invited to comment on the plans.

For several years plans for the Orsett Heath Academy have been on the stocks and were the subject of controversy and concern involving members of Thurrock Rugby Cub who feared losing all the club's junior training pitches – and local residents opposed to the development on their doorstep because of traffic problems.

Previously-published plans were shelved, though in the interim a new building was created on the rugby school site which opened and became home to a full cohort of Year Seven pupils in September 2020.

Now details have been released by the of the Department for Education (DfE) and the South West Essex Community Education Trust (SWECET) for a purpose-built school to accommodate 1,200 students in years to come.

The new school will be built near to the school's interim building, adjacent to King George's Field, off Stanford Road, in Grays. The site has been used as public playing fields for many years and has been used in particular by Thurrock Rugby Club which has jointly maintained the pitches with the Council. Use of the site by the rugby club would continue under the school proposals say the site designers.

Members of the community are invited to find out more about the plans and provide their feedback before the full planning application is submitted. Further information can be found online here. There will also be a virtual public webinar on Thursday, 10 June at 6pm where members of the community can find out more about the plans from the project team.

The site is in green belt but its designers say new buildings will be positioned towards the south west boundary of the site, near the rugby club and neighbouring homes on the opposite side of Stanford Road, in order to minimise the encroachment of the development on green belt land and not impose any further out than the existing line of built development.

A statement says: "The proposals for the new school building will create a modern teaching environment that will allow the school to deliver a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. It aims to create a landmark building for the local community that is sensitive to its context and surrounding area.

"The majority of the teaching space will be located within a three-storey block set back from Stanford Road and neighbouring dwellings, screened by trees. The sports hall and main hall at the north west of the site are two-storeys in height, and the sports facilities lie low at a single storey.

"The school's facilities will also be opened up for the local community to use, such as land devoted to sports pitches, an all-weather pitch and playing fields which have been designed through extensive consultation with Sport England.

"The rugby club will continue to have access to the facilities which will include new rugby pitches as well."

Steve Munday, Chief Executive Officer for South West Essex Community Education Trust, said: "We are delighted to share these exciting plans with the local community. We have worked closely with local organisations over the last few years to make sure we are creating a state-of-the-art secondary school in Thurrock, while improving the facility surrounding the school for local people and existing clubs.

"Orsett Heath Academy has already had a fantastic first year, despite the challenges of Covid-19, in its temporary accommodation. However, this fantastic new school building is desperately needed to meet the urgent need for more secondary school places in Thurrock in the coming years."

During the initial proposals for a new sister school to William Edwards School, also run by the South West Essex Community Education Trust, it was proposed that the new school would include a football facility which would also be home to Grays Athletic FC, which is currently homeless and a tenant at Aveley FC.

However, there is no mention of the football club in the details released today. The proposal does include an all-weather pitch.

The consultation will run from today (Friday, 4 June through to Sunday, 20 June and all local residents are invited to visit the website or attend the public webinar and provide their feedback.

Barrie Newman, Project Director for Caledonian Modular who have come up with the designs, added: "We are pleased to be bringing forward a proposal to construct a new purpose-built, eight-form secondary school that is sensitive to its local surroundings and provides the required facilities of a modern school.

"As part of the process of developing our plans, we are keen to receive thoughts and feedback from local residents and the public, before finalising any planning application and look forward to hearing people's views."

Subject to planning permission, the school plans to open in its permanent site during the academic year 2022/23.

Planning permission was grantedby Thurrock Council in March for another new secondary in the borough, adjacent to Palmer's College. Initial preparatory work on Thames Park secondary school has just started on that site, which is less than a mile a mile away from the proposed site of Orsett Heath Academy.

To have your say on the Orsett Heath Academy:

You can complete an online survey by visiting www.orsettheathacademy.co.uk Alternatively, you can send your feedback via email, Freephone or Royal Mail Freepost, or request a paper copy of the survey using the details below:

•EMAIL: [email protected]

•FREEPHONE: 0800 4703746

•FREEPOST: FREEPOST OHA

Or you can attend the Public Webinar on Thursday, 10 June at 6pm. You can book a place by contacting the project team using the contact details above.