Somerset Council has paused a planned £13.7 million redevelopment of Wellsprings Primary School in Taunton while seeking funding from the Department for Education (DfE).
The primary school, located on Crowcombe Road in the north of Taunton, is currently unable to use its assembly hall due to safety concerns. The hall’s concrete structure, built using the Orlit prefabricated reinforced concrete method common in school buildings from the 1950s to 1970s, has been deemed to be at significant risk of collapse.
Earlier plans included constructing a new modular hall on the school’s playground at a cost of approximately £500,000. Additionally, the council had budgeted for extensive refurbishment or rebuilding of the wider school as part of its capital programme for upcoming years.
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However, owing to Somerset Council’s challenging financial situation, the larger project has been placed on hold. Council officers are now focusing on securing direct funding from the DfE to progress the required improvements.
Under the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a legal duty to ensure that children attend schools that are safe and well-maintained and situated within walking distance of their homes. While the upkeep of academy schools falls to their governing trusts, Wellsprings remains under direct local authority control, meaning the council is responsible for repairs and maintenance.
The council’s capital programme, approved in March as part of the annual budget, earmarked £13,726,000 for the Wellsprings Primary rebuild between April 2026 and March 2030, including around £5 million allocated for the current financial year.
The decision to postpone the broader redevelopment was detailed in a report presented to the council’s executive committee in Taunton on 5 August. A spokesperson for Somerset Council stated: “The Wellsprings School major project within the school condition programme has been paused. This is due to a submission for funding being made to the DfE’s school rebuilding programme. A final decision from the DfE is not expected until the spring of 2027.”
The report also noted that planned new primary schools in Chard and on the Wilstock housing estate near Bridgwater have experienced delays attributed to rising costs and other factors.
Despite the pause on the major rebuild, the council has confirmed the new modular hall will still be delivered. The scope of any future work will depend on the outcome of the DfE funding bid.
A council spokesperson explained: “The projects are related but they are to be delivered and funded independently. The provision of the relocatable modular building is to provide interim accommodation for the current loss of hall space at the school, until such time a permanent solution can be put in place. There are no plans to demolish the school hall at this early stage. We will await the outcome of the school rebuilding programme bid submission and continue to monitor the structure in the intervening period. Any required structural support works will be undertaken where necessary. If the bid is successful, the full scope of the project will be determined at this time. This is because the DfE will largely determine what will and will not be funded, and therefore what can be considered in and out of scope.”