New Facilities Green-Lighted For Burgess Hill Special School

Brand new college facilities for a Burgess Hill special school have been given the thumbs up.

Campaigners, parents and governors at Woodlands Meed have spent most of the past decade fighting for fit for purpose facilities for older pupils who are based at the Birchwood Grove site.

Last May West Sussex County Council agreed to spend £20million on replacing the tired and dilapidated prefabricated buildings.

An application for purpose-built facilities south of the existing college buildings was approved by the county council’s planning committee today (Tuesday March 30).

Although everyone enthusiastically welcomed the investment, there were some questions about the need for a three-metre high wooden fence screening nearby residential properties from noise from the all-weather pitch and multi-use gams area (MUGA).

Meanwhile governor Marion Wilcock asked if the location of the MUGA could be swapped with a grassed area next to it.

Andrew Barrett-Miles (Con, Burgess Hill North)  said they ‘have no major problems with noise coming from that site’ and while Anne Jones called the overall plans a ‘miracle’ she felt installing such a high fence would be ‘crazy’.

Officers suggested they reword conditions so that the details of acoustic fencing is agreed after a period of monitoring to see whether it is required.

Mrs Jones (Con, Burgess Hill East) said she looked forward to a ‘magnificent’ buildings opening and was ‘proud’ of the work by teachers, governors and parents.

The new college will have a greater amount of internal space, approximately 70 per cent more than the current school, with large classrooms and more specialist subject spaces. It will have a new sports hall, hydrotherapy pool and improved outdoor sporting facilities . The new design will be energy efficient to reduce the overall energy costs for Woodlands Meed.

Kirsy Lord (LDem, Hassocks and Burgess Hill South) described how the current hygiene facilities were inadequate while the site’s buildings and layout posed great difficulties for children with mobility issues. It is also unable to offer all the curriculum areas on site and lacks the necessary therapeutic facilities required.

She said: “Allow these children to benefit from these new facilities from the 2022-23 school year. No more children will have to go out of of county and children can access all the facilities they deserve to thrive.”

Officers explained how the area where the new buildings are due to be built slopes significantly and is currently incompatible with formal sports use with pupils having to go off-site for PE and sports sessions.

Building in this location means construction can take place while the existing school is still in use.

Nigel Jupp, cabinet member for education and skills, said: “This scheme has been a long time in its gestation period and I know from the public meeting we held in November there is considerable enthusiasm for this project from parents, teachers  and staff and the community recognises the worth this school provides.”

Liz Kitchen (Con, St Leonard’s Forest), committee vice-chairman, called the scheme ‘exciting and imaginative’ and spoke in favour of changing the conditions so an acoustic fence would only go in if its need was demonstrated.

The application with a number of amended conditions was approved unanimously.