Darwen Academy project near journey’s end (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Darwen Academy project near journey’s end
4:09pm Friday 5th March 2010 in
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- By Nafeesa Shan » Reporter
THIS is the first look around Darwen’s new multi-million pound academy and sixth-form centre.
The Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is on schedule to open in September as the construction workers begin adding the final touches to the building which has incorporated a bridge into its design.
Scaffolding is coming down, classrooms are being painted, final building works to the dance studio, cafe and atrium areas are taking place and the three-floor sports hall has taken shape.
The imposing structure in Redearth Road towers over its surroundings.
The sponsor of the £45million academy and its principal say the five-storey building and its ‘top notch’ facilities will be an ‘asset’ to the community. The massive building, which will cater for 1,600 students currently operating out of the old Moorland site, is already showing the signs that school children will be moving in soon.
Bosses have marked up the building into subject areas, each with their own signature colour to help youngsters and staff make their way around come September.
Rod Aldridge, whose foundation The Aldridge Foundation sponsor’s Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, said: “Opening the new building is an emotional time for us.
"We started back in 2004. It has been a very long journey but a worthwhile one and demonstrates the determination of seeing it through.
“The young people have top-notch facilities that are really welcoming and provide an opportunity to learn.
“We are very fortunate to have a sixth-form centre which will be there for the first time. These are life-changing times.
“The academy is an asset to the community. We want to engage with the community, therefore to connect with it is vital and we look forward to working in partnership with them.There are no barriers – now it is about inspiration.”
Principal Brendan Loughran said: “We are really excited about the move to the new building.
“We have been clear from the outset that the community building is for the students of Darwen and has been designed with a sixth-form in mind.
“We have got a fantastic opportunity to make this academy a success that it is going to be.”
Comments(16)
Roy Drage
says...
5:25pm Fri 5 Mar 10
blackburn south
says...
7:06pm Fri 5 Mar 10
The ironic thing is there will be some kids whose parents have had their homes demolished refused entry if the school is over subscribed. For I fully expect the encatchment area to reach well beyond the perimeters of Darwen.
pocketdragon
says...
7:42pm Fri 5 Mar 10
i agree with Blackburn South and the point about refused entry, we will soon find out if it rings true as i expect it will...and the area was not an eyesore, the houses there were probably better than a lot of other houses in the town. i would rather have the house i had back than the one i have now.
PAULP1999
says...
9:00pm Fri 5 Mar 10
At the start we were told that demolition was the last thing on the council's mind and they were looking at regenerating the area. The residents of course agreed to this. Interesting that Capital were the ones doing the valuations on the houses on behalf of the council!
Interesting to see that the results for the Acadamy were worse than expected. I am not sure a shiny new building will make much difference. The centre of town is in enough of a mess as it is. Money well spent?
It will be very interesting to see what happens to the vacent site once Vale move back to their present location and who gets control of it. I think that will tell its own story.
There are two words that spring to mind when I think of Blackburn with Darwen council - arrongant and incompetant. A dangerous mix.
whereistedward
says...
2:31am Sat 6 Mar 10
PAULP1999 wrote:You were not moved for this. 27% of the houses at Redearth were empty. Many were semi-derelict. They were (mostly) some of the worst housing in the country. The vast majority were rented. There were enourmous problems with fly-tipping, rats, drugs, alcohol, vandalism. Residents bitterly complained for years about the state of the area. Darwen Council wanted to demolish the area in the early 1970's just as they demolished most of the other houses in the area. Houses were being demolished in this area in 1929.
I was one of the residents moved on by the council for this. If they had been honest from the start about what they wanted the site for I think I would have gone along with it. At the start we were told that demolition was the last thing on the council's mind and they were looking at regenerating the area. The residents of course agreed to this. Interesting that Capital were the ones doing the valuations on the houses on behalf of the council! Interesting to see that the results for the Acadamy were worse than expected. I am not sure a shiny new building will make much difference. The centre of town is in enough of a mess as it is. Money well spent? It will be very interesting to see what happens to the vacent site once Vale move back to their present location and who gets control of it. I think that will tell its own story. There are two words that spring to mind when I think of Blackburn with Darwen council - arrongant and incompetant. A dangerous mix.
The area was going to be demolished irrespective of the new school.
The only folk promising you the housing would remain and done up were the Tories / Lib-Dems / 'For Darwen' Party who said they would save your homes and build the Academy at the current Moorland site. They reneged on their promises within 3 weeks of getting elected. They lied to you.
Excluded
says...
7:35am Sat 6 Mar 10
Both found no evidence that the decision to clear the site had anything to do with the school. Mainly because the first approach for the Academy from Rod Aldridge came a couple of months after all the surveys of the site had been done and dusted. The decision that the Academy would be in Darwen, not Blackburn, was then months after that.
The council were faced with having a large vacant site next to the town centre. When the Academy proposal came along it was a great opportunity to use a vacant site to the benefit of the town.
blackburn south
says...
9:30am Sat 6 Mar 10
Perhaps Darwen was chosen for the site because it will be easier to bus kids in from Bolton.
Excluded
says...
9:52am Sat 6 Mar 10
Once surveys show an area has to be cleared, then it has to be cleared. Whether a Council has another use for it is irrelevant.
blackburn south
says...
11:49am Sat 6 Mar 10
A Darener
says...
1:44pm Sat 6 Mar 10
PAULP1999
says...
3:08pm Sat 6 Mar 10
It was not the for darwen, tory or lib dems who said the houses would not come down. It was officials from the council. We had two visits before any sort of survey was done and on both occasions they said that they were looking a regenerating the area and improving the housing stock.
As for the state of the area. There were and still are worse areas in the town. The council do not seem to want to do anythng about it. The council seems to think that a nice shiny new exteria will sort out the problems. It's not the properties taking the drugs, fly tipping etc.
DarwenRover
says...
5:00pm Sat 6 Mar 10
.
I for one am glad that dump was raized to the ground!!!
pocketdragon
says...
9:44pm Sat 6 Mar 10
DarwenRover wrote:And you would know this because?...I do not agree with the comments about eyesore, rats, tipping and derelict. This is utter rubbish being spouted, i should know because i owned a house there and also lived there most of my life. I suggest that those either deluded by hearsay or those ignorant to fact stop putting comments on about something they know nothing about. As i said earlier i would have my house back in that community any day. It was an absolute disgrace that the council were allowed to do this in the way they did it. No wonder the country is in the state it is. Enough said!
If the people who owned property in the Redearth area had maintained their properties to even a half decent standard then there would have been a case to answer to. As it was, the place was a complete eyesore. Very few people took pride in how their properties looked.
.
I for one am glad that dump was raized to the ground!!!
PAULP1999
says...
1:01am Sun 7 Mar 10
pocketdragon wrote:As I've already said. There were and still are areas of Darwen, and Blackburn, in a worse state. I don't just mean the state of the properties. It seems strange that the council have suddenly found a few quid to do up the area across Sudell Road. This is one of the areas that has the same problems as Redearth if not more so.
DarwenRover wrote: If the people who owned property in the Redearth area had maintained their properties to even a half decent standard then there would have been a case to answer to. As it was, the place was a complete eyesore. Very few people took pride in how their properties looked. . I for one am glad that dump was raized to the ground!!!And you would know this because?...I do not agree with the comments about eyesore, rats, tipping and derelict. This is utter rubbish being spouted, i should know because i owned a house there and also lived there most of my life. I suggest that those either deluded by hearsay or those ignorant to fact stop putting comments on about something they know nothing about. As i said earlier i would have my house back in that community any day. It was an absolute disgrace that the council were allowed to do this in the way they did it. No wonder the country is in the state it is. Enough said!
To condem any of the houses in the Redearth area, 50% of the properties had to fail only one of 19 criteria. A loose paving stone in the back yard could fail for the house. Not all the house were surveyed. If the council did not get what they wanted they could just do what they did in the Infermary area of Blackburn and move the goalposts.
As had been sid throughout by most of the residents, if the council had been honest from the start most people would have been upset but less lasting bitterness.
It's actually good to hear from people who do know the facts insted of just listening to the Labour party and council tripe.
twicki
says...
8:33am Tue 9 Mar 10
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GOOD PROGRESS: Inside the academy’s ‘Entre-preneurial Corridor’ which is now taking shape
MARKING TIME: Students joined (front, from left) Rod Aldridge, sponsor, Brendan Loughran, principal, Scott Wignall and Jack Freeman in burying a time capsule during the topping out ceremony for Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
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pocketdragon says...
4:42pm Fri 5 Mar 10
Hope its worth it Darwen WITH Blackburn Council!!