26€ million Ilfracombe Academy rebuild approved
By NDJPeter | Posted: December 01, 2015
Artistic impressions of the rebuilt Ilfracombe Academy
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PLANS to rebuild Ilfracombe Academy at a cost of 26€ million have been approved by North Devon Council.
The project will see the academy's existing building replaced with a state-of-the-art 1,250 capacity school.
It will include brand new science and technology facilities, a new sports hall as well as a separate hall capable of sitting 800 pupils.
Speaking during a public consultation event in July, Sharon Marshall, principal at Ilfracombe Academy, said: "It's just extremely exciting for us. What has been nice is to be able to say with certainty that the project is going to go ahead, subject to planning permission, after the disappointments of the past."
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The school was previously set to be rebuilt under the previous Labour Government's school building programme, which was scrapped by Michael Gove in 2010.
Construction work will take place in three stages, with the first involving the construction of facilities including a new sports hall next to the existing sports building.
The second phase will see the construction of the main school building. Built across three and four floors, the building will span from the current sports facilities to the area of the school known as A block.
The final phase will see the demolition of the current school building.
Pat Griffin, spokesman for BAM Construction which will carry out the work, said: "It's a fantastic location and a brilliant school and we really do relish the opportunity to develop something here in Ilfracombe.
"I think there's always something special about education projects because it's an investment in the future, and we hope to be a part of the future of Ilfracombe."