The demolition of Benton Park School is in progress to make way for a full-size 3G pitch, as students and staff move into the new £28.5m rebuild
The original school building was built in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Sir John Burnet, Tait and Partners, in the contemporary brutalist style.
In 2015, an investigation citing the poor condition of some of the buildings and the risks posed by asbestos in the structure of the main school was published. This led to Leeds City Council approving a rebuild worth £28.5m.
Lead contractor BAM, began construction in June 2020 and the keys to the new school were handed over in November 2021.
School demolition makes way for community 3G pitch
The three-storey building has been built on the existing playing fields. Now that students and staff have fully transferred into the new building, demolition of the existing buildings have begun to make way for a full-size 3G pitch, which will be available for community use.
Delia Martin, headteacher of Benton Park School, added: “Staff and Governors cannot express enough, the relief and excitement we all feel that our students will finally be able to experience the high quality learning we provide, within an excellent physical educational environment.
“One of the things we are looking forward to is our school being able to operate as a real hub at the heart of the community in which we work.
“This is something we have not been able to fully achieve with our current premises due to their condition and so we look forward to being able to work with community groups to offer an exciting range of facilities within our local community.”
Back in July 2021, hundreds of former students were welcomed to visit the old school for one last time to say their goodbyes.
