The White Hills Park Trust has secured the strategic sale of a 40-acre site in Bramcote, Nottingham, for housing, enabling the delivery of a new purpose-built secondary school.

In an example of how under-utilised public sector land can contribute to the improvement of school estates, the land, owned by Nottinghamshire County Council, was a surplus former playing field, which Broxtowe Borough Council had allocated for housing delivery.

The sale, for an undisclosed sum, was made possible through the collaboration of Nottinghamshire County Council and The White Hills Park Trust, which released the freehold to facilitate the transaction to Miller Homes, with the full sale proceeds used to deliver a much-needed new secondary school and sixth-form on the adjacent Bramcote College site.

Housebuilder, Miller Homes, will split the site with its newly-acquired sister company, St Modwen Homes, to deliver 470 new homes via two outlets: the first scheme under the new Miller Homes and St Modwen partnership.

Savills has been acting on behalf of The White Hills Trust to sell the land since 2022.

The trust secured Sports England and Secretary of State approval, as well as full planning permission for a flagship new school, which will provide 950 places – 750 secondary school places and 200 sixth form places – with the project commencing this summer.

James Macdonald, chief operating officer of the White Hills Park Trust, who led the transaction, said: “I am incredibly proud that we have completed the sale of the land to Miller Homes.

“It has been many years of hard work and I would like to thank all the colleagues and advisors involved in what is a truly unique and remarkable outcome.

“The sale of the land gives certainty to the new school build for Bramcote College which will have facilities to benefit students, staff, and the wider community”.

Olivia Haslam, development director and co-lead of Savills Education, adds: “This is a fantastic and significant example of making efficient and positive use of underutilised public sector land to generate investment in the school estate, while delivering new housing and wider community benefits.

“It is also a great demonstration of what can be achieved via public and private sector collaboration.”

Following full planning being secured, Miller Homes will deliver a range of market facing new homes, comprising 329 private new homes and 141 affordable new homes, including some additional keyworker rental accommodation.