Issue details

Burgess Hill Northern Arc - New Secondary School - Allocation of Capital Funding for Project Delivery

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 outline 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 set aside to ensure sufficient secondary school places to serve the development. In addition, a financial contribution of £18.159m has been secured through Section 106 Agreements to contribute towards the construction costs of the new school. 

 

All Year 7 places at local secondary schools are full for September 2022 and projections indicate a significant shortfall of secondary places in the area in future as the development is built out. A new 6FE secondary school is therefore required to provide for both the increasing population in the area and the additional need generated by the development.

 

Following completion of a feasibility study, design of the new secondary school has now progressed up to and including RIBA Stage 2 in preparation of a reserved matters planning application to Mid Sussex District Council as the determining authority. Approval is now sought for allocation of the funding to enable the project to proceed.

 

Target date for the opening of the school remains September 2024, although it is recognised that to enable this it may be necessary to provide temporary accommodation for a short period of time.

 

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

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Expenditure > £500,000;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Divisions affected: Cuckfield & Lucastes;

Notice of proposed decision first published: 30/07/2021

Decision due: July 2022 by Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills (Cllr Nigel Jupp)

Lead member: Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills (Cllr Nigel Jupp)

Contact: Leigh Hunnikin, Project Manager Email: leigh.hunnikin@westsussex.gov.uk Tel: 033 022 23051.

Democratic Services Contact: Wendy Saunders Tel: 033 022 22553

Decisions

Background papers