Decision details

The County Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient primary and secondary school places for all children who need a place.

Homes England has secured planning permission for a new 3500 home development on land known as the Northern Arc of Burgess Hill.  As part of the overall plan, a site for a new Secondary School has been provided to ensure sufficient secondary school places to serve the development. In addition, a financial contribution of £18m has been secured through a Section 106 Agreement to contribute towards the construction costs of the new school. 

All Year 7 places at local Secondary Schools are full for September 2021 and projections indicate a significant shortfall of secondary places in the area in future as the development is built out. A new Secondary School is therefore required to provide for both the increasing population in the area and the additional need generated by the development.

A feasibility study for building the new school has been commissioned through the County Council’s Multi-Disciplinary Consultant (MDC), Faithful+Gould Ltd. The school is proposed to open in September 2024; therefore following the conclusion of the feasibility study the detailed design phase will need to follow without delay.

The Secondary School will be designed to deliver against the County Council’s commitments as set out in the Climate Change Strategy.

The Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills has approved that £3.215m of Basic Need funds be allocated to enable a design to be progressed and submission of a planning application for a new Secondary School to serve the Burgess Hill Northern Arc and wider locality.

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