New Build

Planning application proposals – 12th June 2026

We are excited to inform you that a planning application will soon be submitted for the development of a permanent school building for King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree.

The development of King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree is being funded by the Department for Education as part of their Free Schools Programme. Kier Construction has been selected by the Department for Education to design and build the new school.

The proposed development site currently houses two office blocks, one of which was occupied by Sony in recent years, and one of which was occupied by NatWest Bank until earlier this year. A change of use of the buildings from offices to a school has been agreed through two planning approvals, which have established the principle of the site housing a school.

King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree opened in temporary accommodation at the site in September 2025 for Year 7 pupils; and further space is due to be added in Summer this year to allow the school to house both Year 7 and Year 8 pupils from September 2026.

As part of the proposed development, the existing office buildings on the site will be demolished. Approval for these demolitions will be sought from Liverpool City Council, separately to the main redevelopment planning application.

The proposed development includes the erection of a new 3-storey, C-shaped school building which accommodates teaching spaces, a sports hall, an activity studio, an assembly hall, a drama studio and a dining hall. There will also be new sports courts, a playing field, car parking, external canopies, cycle parking and landscaping.

The new school building will minimise energy demand and use low carbon and renewable energy solutions. This will include solar panels on the roof and ground source heat pumps. The existing site access points from Stephenson Way will be retained. The main vehicular entrance will be from the roundabout furthest to the east, the other two access points will be for maintenance vehicles only. A new pedestrian/cycle access will also be formed in the centre of the site boundary to Stephenson Way. In addition, the project will deliver a new pedestrian crossing on Rathbone Road.

Please click HERE to view a document that outlines our proposals in more detail ahead of the planning
application submission.

Please click HERE to see our summary information flyer.

We are holding a drop-in event at King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree in the current temporary school building on Stephenson Way for anyone who wants to find out more or who would like to ask any questions about the proposals. The session will run from 4.30pm to 7.00pm on Thursday 18th June 2026.

If you have any comments or queries on the current proposals, please send these to kingswavertree.uk@avisonyoung.com by 26th June 2026. We will be submitting the demolition and planning applications later in the Summer 2026. Once the applications haves been submitted, it they will be available to view and comment on via Liverpool City Council’s online planning portal: https://liverpool.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/search-and-track-planning-applications/

Subject to receiving the required planning approvals, the demolition of the office buildings is planned to commence in Autumn 2026, with the permanent new build planned to commence early in 2027. Further temporary accommodation will be installed in Summer 2027 to allow the school to house pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 from September 2027. The new permanent building is planned to be ready for occupation in September 2028, with overall project completion (including the external areas and playing field) due in Summer 2029.