SCRAPPING work on a new secondary school for Worcester has been labelled a “high-risk retreat”.
Coun Mel Allcott has raised serious concerns over Worcestershire County Council’s decision to stop work on a long-planned school on Newtown Road. The cabinet instead agreed to further investigation into other options.
At the full council meeting on Thursday November 6, Coun Allcott, county councillor for Claines, said: “This reversal leaves Worcester city without a confirmed capacity plan for secondary places beyond 2028. Simply investigating whether pupils can be sent elsewhere is not a deliverable strategy. Worcester’s families deserve a clear, credible plan – not uncertainty.”
Four options were originally considered by the council – continuing with the Newtown Road secondary school (projected to cost £63.3 million), expanding existing Worcester secondary schools, developing provision on the County Hall site and using capacity in schools outside the city, such as Malvern, Droitwich, Pershore, and Upton.
Coun Allcott outlined seven major concerns with the cabinet’s approach, including a failure to meet statutory duties, overreliance on out-of-area schools, and a lack of transparency or evidence behind the decision.
She continued: “The council risks breaching its legal duty under the Education Act to ensure sufficient school places. Halting the principal project over a modest five to seven per cent cost increase, without any published value-for-money analysis, is a
false economy.”
She also criticised the feasibility work that ruled out County Hall as a possible site for additional education provision, saying Its proximity to Nunnery Wood High School could allow for shared facilities or an annex model – but that had not been explored properly.
Coun Allcott warned that immediate sufficiency risks exist for the 2026–2028 academic years, with only £2.6 million allocated to secure extra places.
She added: “Without short-term capacity measures – such as modular classrooms – the council will fall short of providing enough places. We must act now to avoid disruption for families.”
The county council confirmed that some Worcester city pupils would be attending Malvern secondary schools in September 2026 and 2027.
Coun Dr Stephen Foster, cabinet member for education and SEND, added the council was not in breach of its legal duty to secure sufficient school places and remained fully committed to ensuring every child in the county has access to a high-quality education and a suitable school place.
