School may sell land for homes and sports hub

A secondary school in Cambridge said it was "exploring the potential sale" of some of its land, which could be turned into housing and a new sporting hub.

About 1.98 hectares (4.89 acres) of "surplus playing fields" at North Cambridge Academy, in the north of the city, was up for sale with an asking price of £7.5m.

A spokesperson for North Cambridge Academy and Meridian Trust said it was exploring the sale, working jointly with Cambridgeshire County Council which owned part of the land.

"The land has been unused and largely derelict for over five years and is not suitable for teaching, play space, or other educational purposes without significant investment," they added.

According to a sales brochure, the site could be redeveloped into a "mixed-use sporting hub, providing a range of new and enhanced sports facilities which would be available to the public outside of school hours alongside new homes and car parking provision".

It added that proposals must demonstrate how potential buyers would meet these requirements, including the provision of a new 3G sports pitch, four tennis courts and a community use agreement for the facilities to be available to the public.

A spokesperson for the school and trust said a formal consultation had been launched until 12 June, and it invited feedback.

"If a sale were to proceed, any funds generated would be reinvested into North Cambridge Academy and other schools across Cambridgeshire, in partnership with the local authority," they said.

"This would support ongoing improvements to facilities and enhance provision for pupils, including enhancing and extending sporting facilities, improving parking and increasing areas for those with additional needs."

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: "The footprint of the former Bellerby's College, now demolished, and owned by Cambridgeshire County Council, forms a small part of the overall site that North Cambridge Academy owns and are intending to market.

"The county council will consider this proposal at a future assets and procurement committee meeting, and no approvals or decisions have currently been made."

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