Plans for a second primary school on Rotherham's Waverley estate have been formally dropped by the council, despite dozens of children being refused places at the estate's only existing school. The decision has angered 83 parents and a local councillor, who argue the current school is already oversubscribed and that the change breaks a long-standing promise made when the estate was first approved.

The Waverley estate, built on the site of the former Orgreave colliery, was granted outline planning permission in 2011 for 3,890 homes and two primary schools. Waverley Primary Academy opened in 2020 and was later expanded to 675 places, but 49 applications were rejected this year alone, 29 from within the catchment area, with 86 refused between 2022 and 2024 before the expansion. Rotherham Council says a second school is only required if the estate exceeds 3,250 homes, but the development will now deliver just 3,022 homes, while developer Harworth said it was "empathetic" but the decision followed eight years of work with the two local councils.