Securing the Future for a Historic School
HPA are incredibly proud to have been working with the historic Westholme School, Blackburn, in their efforts to consolidate pupil provision on 1 site to cut costs, reduce wasted travel time, and secure a sustainable future for the school.
Westholme has been serving the area with high quality, independent education for generations, celebrating its centenary in 2023. Currently, the school is spread across 3sites, creating logistical challenges.
With expertise in education projects, HPA have worked with Westholme School for 25 years, appointed to create an inventive solution that expands capacity at their Wilmar Lodge site, allowing all pupils to be educated in 1 space, but allowing juniors and seniors to maintain their own identities.
BLENDING THE OLD AND THE NEW
In keeping with the school’s proud history and focus on the future, we created plans that involved both the conversion of existing buildings and new, purpose-built accommodation, all integrated in one single design.
Subject to Planning Permission, the project will convert the existing art and music blocks, as well as adding extra facility space, assisting the school in bringing all primary pupils across from existing sites: Billinge House and Beardwood Bank.
Our talented team, worked closely with Westholme to fully understand the demands and ensure that it met all the needs of a busy school. These consultations created some challenges, requiring the team to create designs that extended beyond the buildings themselves. These ensure that the primary provision will have its own playgrounds, access points, drop-off areas, and parking facilities, with the aim of reducing impact on existing pupils at the Wilmar Lodge site, creating a safer environment for all concerned.
SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS
The project, as Principal Lynne Horner explains: “Will effectively bring our Westholme family together and we strongly believe that the children will benefit from being in one place. The planned changes will also give us the assurance of long-term sustainability and the future ability to reinvest in our facilities.”
We were also conscious that the new configuration and buildings onsite should offer an eco-friendly solution. Refurbishing and repurposing existing buildings rather than simply building from scratch significantly reduces environmental impact.
The plans put forward by HPA will be considered by Blackburn and Darwen Council in February. If approved, construction will proceed rapidly, with the aim of having all primary age children housed in the new facilities at the start of the new school year in September 2021.
To explore our range of education projects, click here.
