Richmond MP William Hague and head teacher Phil Beever
with models and plans of the new school

A NEW state-of-the-art secondary school for pupils of one Yorkshire Dales town came a step closer this week with the formal granting of planning permission.

North Yorkshire County Council's planning Committee approved the application for the replacement of most of the existing complex in Richmond with a purpose-built school, combining the best teaching environment with the latest in sustainable energy provision.

Cynthia Welbourn, Director of North Yorkshire's Children and Young People's Service said: "This is a very important project for Richmond school, the local area, and the County Council overall.

"The priorities are not only to enhance the educational performance of the school and opportunities for its students, but also to provide facilities that enhance opportunities for the local community in the areas of sport, drama community education and youth services."

Included in the wide range of renewable energy features to be built into the school are wind turbines and solar panels to provide power, biomass boilers, ground source heat pumps, and a metallic curtain walling system.

Twenty per cent of the school's energy will come from renewable sources, and local authorities throughout the UK will be invited to use Richmond as a model for sustainability under the Department for Education and Skills Single School Pathfinder Programme.

This is a very important project for Richmond
school

Cynthia Welbourn - North Yorkshire's Children and Young People's Service

In a report to the planning committee, Gordon Gresty, the director of business and environmental services with North Yorkshire County Council, said: "The design of the new building has incorporated the use of local materials combined with the use of a 'green' sedum roof.

"The building has been aligned to benefit from the maximum solar gain in terms of heating and ventilation. Material arising out of the demolition of the existing buildings will also be re-used wherever practicable."

He added: "Sustainable methods of construction will also be employed and this will reduce construction waste, utilise where possible locally available construction materials, and employ the latest technologies to deliver the objectives of sustainable development."

Richmond School, which is attended by around 1,700 pupils in the 11 to 18 age group, is currently scattered across a split site. At its heart is a Grade Two listed building, included on the register of architecturally or historically important buildings as an early 1930s example of modernist architecture, which will be retained and refurbished as part of the scheme.

Work on the £30 million is expected to start in 2007, with an anticipated completion date of autumn 2009.