The construction of Bridgwater’s latest primary school has taken a step forward with over £7.7m secured from local housing developments. Expansion of the Wilstock and Stockmoor ‘villages’ has strained existing primary schools on Bridgwater’s southern edge. With 511 new homes planned at the Bridgwater Gateway site, the urgent requirement for the Wilstock Primary School is evident. Somerset Council has allocated £7,742,000 from the community infrastructure levy (CIL) paid by housing developers, ensuring that construction will commence soon.
The new school on Cosmos Drive was part of the third phase of the Wilstock Village development, consisting of 248 homes and a community hub. Currently, students from these areas have to commute to Somerset Bridge Primary School in the neighboring Stockmoor Village estate or other local schools further away.
The council has set a target to welcome pupils to the new facility by September 2027. The need for the school is amplified by the rising birth rates and the impending construction at the Bridgwater Gateway site. It is projected that the nearby primary schools, North Petherton and Somerset Bridge, will be at or near capacity for the next five years, given the limited available places.
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The new primary school will initially accommodate 210 pupils and a 40-place nursery, with provisions for expansion as the number of students grows. The allocation of CIL funding for the Wilstock school was unanimously approved by committee members.