Walsall residents face uncertainty as school plan for Reedswood Park goes to vote

Walsall residents face uncertainty as the Department for Education pushes forward with plans to build a £50 million secondary school on 13.7 acres of Reedswood Park woodland, despite strong local opposition. Protesters will demonstrate outside Walsall Council House on Thursday, September 3, ahead of a planning committee decision. The proposed Windsor Apollo Academy, managed by Windsor Academy Trust, would accommodate 1,000 students. Residents and the Highways Authority object to the Reedswood Lane access route, citing traffic congestion, while ecological surveys found 30 bird species, nine bat species, and six reptile species in the area. The council recently revoked a £1 million payment to the DfE for the project. Campaigners from Save Our Park urge the council to reject the application, questioning why the vacant Sneyd Comprehensive School site was not considered. The DfE has not publicly explained its site selection. The planning committee will decide the application on September 3, with residents invited to gather at 5pm outside the council house.