At its recent board meeting held on Tuesday 25th January the Minerva Learning Trust took the decision to withdraw from the project to deliver a new Post 16 Hub as part of the Town’s Fund bid.
A new Post 16 provision was part of the education and skills output with a vision to focus on technology and engineering in a bespoke space at Stocksbridge High School, delivered through capital investment from the Town’s Fund.
The Minerva Learning Trust Board has contacted the Town’s Fund Board to withdraw from the project due to concerns about pupil numbers in the chosen subjects and the long-term costs of staffing and delivering a sustainable facility in the town.
Whilst the board is disappointed in this decision enhancing education and skills opportunities in Stocksbridge remains a key output of the Town’s Fund investment. The board is committed to working with adult education partners to deliver learning opportunities in the new Manchester Road Crossover Hub and looks forward to sharing further details in the coming weeks.
Further local consultation on the updated plans for Manchester Road is expected to take place in March and more details will be announced shortly.
Updated plans are being unveiled next week which will bring major improvements to the historic Oxley Park in Stocksbridge.
A drop-in consultation session will be held on Tuesday 8th February focussed on a master plan for the park which is part of the ambitious £24.1m Town’s Fund investment in Stocksbridge. The new investment will also make Oxley Park ready to attain the Green Flag quality award.
The land which makes up Oxley Park, neighbours Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre and was gifted to the people of Stocksbridge by Thomas Oxley in the 1920s.
The Town’s Fund investment has already delivered major improvements to the car park and access to the Leisure Centre as well as a new play area and upgraded footpaths and landscaping.
The next phase of work will deliver more improvements to the park and Leisure Centre, plans will be displayed at the Leisure Centre on Tuesday 8th February from 3pm to 7pm.
Plans include a new 3G sports pitch as well as an upgraded skatepark with an acoustic and landscape buffer, further improvements to the footpaths in the park are also planned. At the Leisure Centre there are plans for a new hydrotherapy pool.
This next phase of work is part of the Stocksbridge Town Investment Plan which is delivering a range of projects across the town, aimed at building a sustainable future for residents and businesses.
Co-chair of the Town’s Fund Board Miriam Cates MP said: “These proposals are going to make a huge difference to local residents. The improvements to Oxley Park and the Community Leisure Centre are a key part of our Town Deal for Stocksbridge and we are delighted to be able to share the updated proposals.
“We are working on the business cases across all the projects now and look forward to announcing more updates in the coming weeks.”
The Towns Fund Board is made up of stakeholders and local volunteers, as well as officers from Sheffield City Council and Deputy Leader Cllr Julie Grocutt, representing both Sheffield City Council and Stocksbridge Town Council.
Information about the Oxley Park and Leisure Centre improvements will be displayed at the Leisure Centre until Friday February 11th.
For more information contact Amanda Holmes on Amanda.holmes@sheffield.gov.co.uk or 07747 621902.
You can also visit the Stocksbridge Towns Fund website at www.welcometostocksbridge.co.uk