Housing developer seeks to scrap school plans at Donnington Heights
Parish council urges developer to honour school pledge amid concerns over outdated facilities and future demand.
A revised planning application from developer David Wilson Homes has sparked concern in West Berkshire, as it seeks to remove a long-standing commitment to build a new primary school at Donnington Heights.
The proposal has drawn a strong objection from Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish Council, which argues that the current primary school is outdated, overcrowded, and unable to meet future demand from nearby housing developments.
Council chair Margot Payne said: “Our wonderful primary school, which has just had a good Ofsted, is having to cope in a completely inadequate building for 21st-century education—and we consider that totally unacceptable.”
David Wilson Homes says falling birth rates in the area mean the school is no longer needed. But the parish council disagrees, warning that if the opportunity to build a new school is missed now, it may never happen - leaving future families without sufficient school places.
The Donnington Heights site was approved for 401 homes in 2017, with David Wilson Homes responsible for around 222 of those. Most are now occupied, and the developer argues that local pupils already have places in nearby schools.
However, the parish council says the existing Shaw-cum-Donnington Primary School, housed in a Grade II-listed Victorian building, is structurally poor and lacks basic facilities like a dining hall, sports field, and assembly space. Meals are currently cooked off-site and served in the village hall.
The council also points to expected housing growth in the area, saying the proposed one-form entry school would replace the current half-form entry and help meet future demand.
A spokesperson for David Wilson Homes Southern declined to comment on what the land would be used for if the school plans are dropped. A PR representative said the company “remains committed to working with West Berkshire Council to fulfil its obligations.”
The parish council says it will continue to press district councillors and the local MP to ensure the school plans are not abandoned.