Decision details

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

Following a review of pupil projections for starting primary school in the Haywards Heath locality and specifically the Lindfield area, it determined that it was necessary to provide for a bulge class of 30 pupils at Lindfield Primary Academy in September 2021. The additional 30 pupils were accommodated in the ICT suite and music room which was temporarily remodelled to accommodate the class.  The proposal is to create an additional classroom at the school to provide permanent provision for the additional pupils.

In November 2020 the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills approved the allocation of Section 106 funding for education infrastructure capital projects, including £0.619m for additional primary places in the Haywards Heath locality (decision ES10 (20/21) refers).  Since this decision, it has been identified that the need for places is to be met at Lindfield Primary Academy which sits within the Haywards Heath planning area. Following completion of the feasibility study, it has been identified that the project to expand Lindfield Primary Academy will exceed £0.5m requiring an individual key decision.

Therefore, an allocation of S106 funding from the Capital Programme will be sought to enable the works to be taken forward and to make provision for current fluctuations in the market. The budget will fund all associated fees and furniture and equipment.

The Assistant Director (Property and Assets) has approved the total allocation of £1m of received S106 contributions to fund the necessary works, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report, to enable suitable provision for accommodating the bulge class of 30 pupils at Lindfield Primary Academy.

None