Stockport Council Approves Willmott Dixon’s £50m School Rebuild Plan 2026

Key Points

• The Willmott Dixon Construction company has been granted full planning permission by Stockport Council for the reconstruction of Bramhall High School for almost £50 million.
• It is included in the School Rebuild program of the Department for Education and solves the RAAC concrete issue that was found in 2023.
• The construction is supposed to begin in January 2027 and will last about 90 weeks.
• The new building consists of three stories and will host 1,350 students in 10,839 square meters created by Sheppard Robson.
• Among other parts there will be 25 general classrooms, 10 science laboratories, 5 SEND classes, and many sports zones.
• Almost all the buildings that are in use right now will be demolished after construction of the new school apart from the modern maths building.
• The decision was reached unanimously on 13 August 2026 in the Stockport Council’s Planning & Highways Regulation Committee.

Stockport (Manchester Mirror) August 17, 2026 – Willmott Dixon Construction has received unanimous planning approval from uk/local/stockport/">Stockport Council to proceed with the near £50 million redevelopment of Bramhall High School, marking a significant milestone in addressing the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) crisis that forced the school’s temporary closure in 2023. The decision, made on 13 August 2026 at the council’s Planning & Highways Regulation Committee meeting, clears the way for construction to commence in January 2027 on the 36-acre site off Seal Road in Bramhall.

As reported by Julia Hatmaker of Place North West, the replacement school will be built alongside the existing campus before most of the current estate is demolished, with only the more recent maths block being retained. The new three-storey building, designed by architectural firm Sheppard Robson, will span 10,839 square metres (approximately 116,700 square feet) and will accommodate the same 1,350 pupils currently enrolled at the school.

The planning application, reference number DC/098847, was submitted by Willmott Dixon in May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education, with PlanRed advising on planning matters. Stockport Council planning officers had recommended approval ahead of the committee meeting, and councillors voted unanimously in favour of the proposal, in line with officer recommendation.

What Facilities Will the New Bramhall High School Include?

The redesigned Bramhall High School will feature comprehensive modern educational facilities to serve its 1,350 pupils and 142 full-time staff members. According to the officer’s report reviewed by Stockport Today, the new building will contain 25 general teaching classrooms, 10 science laboratories, and specialist teaching spaces for drama, computing, ICT, workshops, and art and design.

A notable addition to the facility will be five SEND-specialised classrooms dedicated to pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, expanding upon the school’s current provision for students requiring additional support. The central areas of the building will house an assembly hall with tiered seating, dining halls, and a library.

Sports and recreational facilities form a substantial component of the redevelopment plans. The new school will include a four-court indoor sports hall, an activity studio, and changing facilities. Externally, students will have access to two replacement multi-use games areas (MUGAs), one of which will be lit for evening community use, replacement playing fields, and a new all-weather 3G football pitch situated beside the retained hockey pitch.

The site will also feature a consolidated staff car park with 132 bays, including 14 accessible spaces and 13 bays equipped with electric vehicle charging capabilities. A new bus turning loop will be able to accommodate five buses simultaneously, along with new off-street bus stops and a covered bike storage facility with capacity for 200 bicycles.

Why Was Bramhall High School Selected for Rebuilding?

The driving force behind the Bramhall High School rebuild is the discovery of significant quantities of RAAC within the school’s buildings, a lightweight concrete material used extensively in educational construction from the 1950s to the 1990s that has been found to be prone to sudden and unexpected collapse as it deteriorates. In August 2023, more than 100 schools across England were forced to close when RAAC in their properties was deemed dangerous, with Bramhall High School among the 234 schools nationally identified as affected by the material.

As reported by Ed Barnes of Stockport Nub News, Bramhall High School was forced to close in 2023 following the discovery of hazardous RAAC, though it later reopened after urgent safety measures were implemented. While all classrooms are now open and the buildings are considered safe for use following remediation works, some facilities including the squash courts have not reopened, and community use of the school’s facilities has been suspended.

Condition surveys conducted after the initial RAAC discovery concluded that most of the existing buildings should be demolished and replaced rather than undergoing further patch repairs, leading to the school’s inclusion in the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme. The project is being funded through this central government initiative, which aims to replace school buildings in the worst condition across England.

How Will Construction Be Managed and What Is the Timeline?

The main construction programme is scheduled to take 90 weeks, with work expected to commence on site in January 2027. The phased approach will see the new three-storey building constructed alongside the existing school before demolition of the old estate begins, minimising disruption to ongoing education.

Willmott Dixon is a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, and the contractor will be required to work around the school day and coordinate with any other major developments in the area, including the separate Dairyground development if it starts on site during the same period. A Construction Environmental Management Plan and Construction Traffic Management Plan will be agreed following permission to govern construction traffic, noise, air quality, and working practices.

The landscaping and external works have been designed by DEP Landscape Architecture, with Roscoe advising on flooding and drainage matters and Pace Consult leading on air and noise issues. Civic’s heritage division handled archaeological work, while The Environment Partnership served as ecologist and arboriculturalist for the scheme. TACE led on net zero carbon assessments, lighting, and energy considerations.

Of the 82 trees currently on the site, 25 will be felled to accommodate the development, though none are classified as Category A (the highest-value class) in the tree survey. The landscaping scheme proposes planting 161 new trees along with new hedging, a wildflower meadow, and a dedicated habitat learning area to achieve biodiversity net gain. Officers have recommended granting permission subject to a legal agreement securing a commuted sum of £13,902 to fund long-term monitoring of the biodiversity net gain habitats created on site.

What Were the Public Consultation Responses and Objections?

During the public consultation period, Stockport Council wrote to the owners and occupiers of 101 properties in May 2026 and received one letter of support, six objections, and two neutral comments. The Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee considered the application on 3 August 2026, with no members of the public attending to speak against it, before voting unanimously to recommend approval to the planning committee.

The objections raised were almost entirely concerned with traffic and the new vehicle access arrangements rather than the school rebuild itself. Residents expressed concerns about drop-off congestion, cars parking on side roads and blocking driveways, headlights shining into houses, and the potential for these problems to be compounded by the nearby Ladybrook Primary School.

The most significant objection concerned the new vehicle entrance for the car park and bus drop-off, which residents argued is positioned too close to the entrance of Nevin Close. Objectors suggested the access should either be moved further east along Seal Road or be provided with a dedicated right-turn lane to prevent queuing across the junction. Additional concerns were raised about the consolidated car park sitting directly against the boundaries of Nevin Close properties, replacing greenery with tarmac.

Other requests from objectors included extending the double yellow lines on the school side of Seal Road up to Nevin Close, moving the 20mph sign beyond the bend, and implementing parking permits or additional yellow lines to prevent parents from parking outside residential homes. The single letter of support came from a former pupil who attended approximately twenty years ago and expressed surprise and dismay at how little the school had changed, requesting that the Community Use Agreement require genuinely open public access to outdoor facilities and that the Travel Plan include enforceable targets for reducing car trips.

Background of the RAAC School Rebuilding Programme

The Bramhall High School redevelopment forms part of a national response to the RAAC crisis that emerged in 2023. Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete was widely used in school construction between the 1950s and 1990s due to its lightweight properties and thermal efficiency, but concerns about its long-term structural integrity grew as buildings aged. The material can deteriorate over time, particularly when exposed to moisture, leading to sudden and unpredictable collapse without warning.

In August 2023, the Department for Education ordered the immediate closure of more than 100 schools, colleges, and nurseries across England when RAAC in their properties was found to be in a dangerous condition. Ultimately, 234 schools were identified as affected by RAAC nationwide, triggering a substantial government rebuilding and remediation programme. The Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme was expanded to prioritise RAAC-affected institutions, with funding allocated to demolish and replace buildings where remediation was deemed insufficient or impractical.

Willmott Dixon has been appointed as a contractor on multiple School Rebuilding Programme projects, including the £61 million redevelopment of The Mosslands School in Wallasey announced in April 2026 and a £40.4 million contract for Outwood Academy in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. The construction industry has seen education projects lead recovery efforts, with work to repair RAAC-affected schools driving a rise in education construction starts across the UK.

Prediction: How Will This Development Affect Students, Staff and the Local Community?

The completion of the new Bramhall High School building is expected to deliver substantial long-term benefits for students, staff, and the wider Bramhall community, though the 90-week construction period will present temporary challenges. For the 1,350 pupils currently attending the school, the new facility will provide a modern, safe learning environment free from the structural concerns associated with RAAC, potentially improving educational outcomes through enhanced specialist facilities in science, technology, drama, and digital subjects.

The five new SEND-specialised classrooms will expand provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, allowing the school to better support vulnerable students within mainstream education rather than requiring external placements. Staff will benefit from consolidated facilities, improved working conditions, and modern teaching spaces designed to contemporary educational standards, which may aid recruitment and retention at a time when the education sector faces workforce pressures.

During construction, however, students and staff will need to navigate an active building site, with potential disruption from noise, dust, and modified access arrangements. The requirement for Willmott Dixon to work around the school day should mitigate some impacts, but the 90-week programme represents a significant period of adjustment for the school community.

For local residents on Seal Road, Nevin Close, and surrounding streets, the completed development should reduce some traffic concerns through consolidated parking and improved access arrangements, though the new vehicle entrance position has already generated objections that may persist if congestion issues materialise. The enhanced sports facilities, including the lit MUGA available for evening community use, could provide recreational benefits to local residents if the Community Use Agreement delivers on commitments to public access.

The biodiversity improvements, including 161 new trees, wildflower meadows, and habitat learning areas, should enhance the site’s ecological value compared to the existing estate, though the loss of 25 trees during construction represents a temporary reduction in green infrastructure. The long-term monitoring fund of £13,902 will ensure these habitats are maintained and their biodiversity gains verified over time.

From a broader economic perspective, the £50 million investment represents significant capital injection into the Stockport construction sector, supporting local employment and supply chains during the build phase. The project demonstrates Stockport’s ability to attract substantial Department for Education funding, potentially positioning the borough favourably for future education infrastructure investments.