Work underway on new school at Minerva Heights in Chichester

Work has begun on a building project to deliver a new primary school in Chichester.

Vistry Group and Miller Homes have announced the start of construction of the one-form entry school at Minerva Heights, where the housebuilders are delivering 750 new homes in the first phase of plans for 1,600 homes on land west of Chichester.

The developers hosted an event at Minerva Heights, off Old Broyle Road, at the end of January where the first spade was put into the ground to mark the start of construction of the new school.

The ceremony was attended by Chichester MP and Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan and Ben Barnes, Project Manager from West Sussex County Council, as well as representatives from Vistry, Miller Homes and Ascia Construction, which is building the school.

West Sussex County Council is proposing to relocate Jessie Younghusband Primary School to the new school building, which is due to cater for 210 pupils and be ready for the new school year in September 2024. Consultation on these proposals ended on 31 January.

Melanie Richards, sales and marketing director for Vistry Southern, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took time out to join us at Minerva Heights to mark what was a very important day for the community in Chichester. The creation of a new school will be a key part of the legacy that Minerva Heights will deliver for the city and we were delighted to welcome MP and Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan to share this special occasion.

“There was also an opportunity to look at the wider site and some of the fantastic new facilities that our residents are now able to take advantage of, including a wonderful new play area which is already open to the public. We are hoping to host a ribbon cutting for this facility in the very near future.

 “We are proud to be working alongside Miller Homes to deliver not only hundreds of much-needed high-quality new homes for Chichester but also to fund the provision of this new primary school which will be built by Ascia Construction. The school will provide an exceptional state-of-the-art environment where children can begin their education and learn the skills they need to prepare them for life.

“This project is a perfect example of how we at Vistry seek to become part of the local communities where we build and to make a positive impact on the daily lives of residents old and new alike. We extend this ethos to all parts of our work – which meant we invited local business Baffins Farm Catering along to the groundbreaking event to provide refreshments and be part of this important local event.”

Katrina Crawford, sales and marketing director of Miller Homes Southern, said: “The groundbreaking ceremony of the new school campus in Chichester marks a significant moment for the wider project we are undertaking alongside Vistry Group. Miller Homes is committed to building communities, not just new homes, and the delivery of a brand new primary school facility will go a long way to achieving this within the Minerva Heights development.

“It was fantastic to meet with representatives on behalf of Jessie Younghusband Primary School, West Sussex County Council and our development counterparts at Vistry Group, at the event on 25th January to break the ground for the first time on the new school site. It was clear to see the excitement among all parties to now deliver the school facility as part of our overall masterplan for the development in Chichester.

“We look forward to witnessing the building phase of the new primary school, while continuing to work on the delivery of our own new homes at Minerva Heights, before the school opens in readiness for a new intake of pupils to start their learning journey at a brand new education establishment in Chichester.”