Plans for two new secondary schools in Bilborough have been given the go-ahead by Nottingham City Council.

Hadden Park High School will be remodelled and completely refurbished and a new special school (Centre of Excellence) will be built on the integrated Harvey Hadden Campus to replace Aspley Wood and Shepherd Schools.

Last month, plans for a new secondary school in the north of the city in Top Valley were also given the go-ahead by Gedling Borough Council. The school will be built on the site of the current Big Wood School on Bewcastle Road.

The three schools are included in Nottingham City Council’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme which aims to transform secondary schools in Nottingham by providing facilities at the very top of 21st Century educational design.

Communities surrounding each of the schools will be encouraged to use the new facilities too, which will include a café, multi-use games area and gym, adult education facilities, sports pitches, public spaces and with the new special school (Centre of Excellence) potential use of a hot pool by the community.

Building work is on track to start this summer with opening planned for Autumn 2009. Work should be fully completed in 2010.

Councillor David Mellen, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio holder for Children’s Services, said: "The developers have been discussing planning issues with the City Council and Gedling Borough Council for several months and great care has been taken with the position of the buildings and with the landscaping of the sites to benefit students and the local community and allow longer and more flexible opening hours for students and local residents.

"The plans are of a very high design standard and provide the best facilities. They meet the requirements laid down in the City Council’s Local Plan to provide new facilities to benefit the whole community set in well-landscaped sites that protect open spaces, sports ground and conservation areas. They aim to reduce traffic congestion and improve community safety around the site, and both schools include plenty of space for pupils to socialise."