Decision details

Woodlands Meed is a Special School and College for 2-19 year olds located in Burgess Hill.  This report sets out the potential options to improve accommodation for the 15-19 year old pupils who are currently educated at the Woodlands Meed College site in Birchwood Grove Road, Burgess Hill.

The existing accommodation has significant suitability and condition issues meaning the College is unable to offer the full curriculum and unable to accommodate the full range of Special Educational Needs.  This currently results in the need for young people to be educated in costly placements in the independent non-maintained school sector.

Following a feasibility study to assess different potential solutions for improving the College it is proposed that the County Council develops the proposal to rebuild Woodlands Meed College on its current site and expand it by an additional 30 planned places from 100 to 130.  In order to progress this option it is necessary to appoint a design team through the County Council’s Multi-Disciplinary Consultant to undertake the design work required to develop the feasibility design into a formal proposal. This will entail the submission of a planning application and for all construction works to be fully designed, enabling costs to be sought for all elements of the proposal including construction, ICT, and furniture and equipment.

Once all costs are known, the Full Business Case for the project will be considered within the County Council’s Capital Programme governance.  Should this result in the development of a proposal to proceed it will be subject to the Key Decision process.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills has approved the allocation of £0.5m from the Capital Programme to enable a costed design to be produced for rebuilding and expanding Woodlands Meed College on its current site. The decision is subject to approval by the County Council in February 2019 of an allocation for Woodlands Meed within the Capital Programme.

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