CITY leaders have thrown their weight behind a proposal to built a 75 foot bell tower and performing arts centre at a Worcester school despite overwhelming opposition from nearby residents.

Proposals to erect a £4.5million performing arts centre and bell tower at Christopher Whitehead Language College in Bromwich Road were submitted to Worcester City Council in September.

Some 12 bells have already been donated to the school from a church in Staffordshire.

A series of supporting letters were submitted to the consultation on the City Council website.

They included support from the Bishop of Worcester Reverend John Inge who praised the "exciting" new performing arts project.

He said: "I was delighted to see the computer-generated images of the proposed building. I applaud your determination to educate the whole person and to liberate the creativity and artistic expressivity of every pupil.

"If your project succeeds, and I fervently hope it will, Christopher Whitehead will play an even greater part than it does now to enhance the life of the faithful city."

Head of Museums Worcestershire Iain Rutherford said: "In my view the plans for the new building offer a striking architectural solution in which a wide range of learning and participation in the arts can take place and thrive. Not only will it meet the demands of its pupils but it promises to increase the links between the school and the education sector, the arts and wider community providing a real boost to arts, teaching and performance."

Director of Arts and Culture at the University of Worcester Anne Hannaford said: "The school/community development will bring an exciting new performing arts space to the western side of city, when most cultural venues are on the other side of the river and not in easy proximity. This can pose a barrier for people who do not feel performing arts are for them."

Worcester City Council leader Adrian Gregson said: "The prospect of Worcester being the first place in the UK with a state school with ringing bells is a great inspiration in capturing the spirit and sentiment of the City Council. This is a unique opportunity that we will thoroughly support."

Conservative county councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for communities, said: "The inclusion of the bell tower to commemorate the end of the first world war will be a lasting memorial to the city.

"The design of the building and the tower show imagination and thought and will also add to the uniqueness of this building. The design of the tower proposed along with the viewing platform will also be a strong selling point."

The letters were written to the school in December 2016. 

But residents have continued to raise concerns at the size of the structure and the noise the bells will produce, with dozens of negative responses on the city council's website.

Most residents were in support of plans for a performing arts centre but not the bell tower.

Headteacher Neil Morris said: "This is a great cultural and educational opportunity to become the first state school to have a non-intrusive, sound proofed, iconic beautiful bell tower.

"Bell-ringing has many educational benefits as it promotes camaraderie and teamwork, provides physical exertion for fitness and is a skill proven to be mathematical and improve students’ capability to learn."

"We believe the bell tower would be advantageous to Worcester, the school and in keeping the art of bell-ringing alive."

Agent Mark Martin, of One Creative Environments Ltd, added: "We would like to reassure local people that this proposed purpose built educational facility has been designed with full consideration of the local area.

"The building has been designed to minimise any sound escaping. The bells themselves would also be physically muffled during teaching and heard by those bell-ringing using technology and headphones. The bells would only be allowed to ring audibly for celebratory events, at restricted times, for 12 days a year for up to an hour on each of these occasions.

"The proposed bell tower has already attracted interest for private sector investment and we believe this could be a fantastic facility to benefit the local community."

A decision on proposal was due to be made on Friday, December 15 but the application is still pending as the city council’s planning team is in talks with the applicants regarding outstanding pieces of information.

The proposal may be considered at the planning committee meeting on Thursday, February 22.