Plans to demolish school in Essex to make way for homes scrapped
It's been thrown out by planners.
Plans to demolish a school in Great Dunmow and replace it with 200 new homes have been thrown out by planners.
Helena Romanes School, the applicant, wanted to develop the land to fund a new all-through school on a new site, which it says is a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.
But Uttlesford District Council’s Planning Committee objected to an increase in the number of homes from 100 to support the new school, the lack of any affordable housing and the impact on nearby heritage assets.
The new school was granted planning permission by Essex County Council at a Development and Regulation Committee meeting in March this year.
At Planning Committee meeting earlier today (September 29), CEO of the Saffron Academy Trust, of which Helena Romanes is part, and Head Teacher of Saffron Walden County High School Caroline Derbyshire said there were two years left before the number of people coming to the school would exceed the space it currently has for them.
She said: “We do very much feel that the school building, as it stands at the moment, is not something that the young people of Dunmow deserve.
“They need something better for them and then you marry that with the fact that there is a need for reception school places in Dunmow and you’re providing something of a once in a lifetime opportunity to solve two problems at once and I think it’s that that Saffron Academy Trust is trying to take the opportunity to achieve for the young people of Dunmow, to solve that problem.”
She later said: “My concern about the refusal of this project is that it is a signal to that community that nobody cares about them and nobody wants for them to have the provisions and the facilities that they deeply, deeply deserve.”
Councillor Geoff Bagnall (Residents for Uttlesford, Takeley) objected to suggestions the council would be working against the community by refusing the application.
He told the meeting: “I think you have to be careful because as a district it’s important that we secure 40 per cent affordable housing otherwise we’re not doing very well by the people who need affordable housing.
“So it’s a balance but I don’t think it’s fair to accuse the committee of not doing the community a good service by not allowing this.”
Leader of the Uttlesford Independents Richard Pavitt (Littlebury, Chesterford & Wenden Lofts) questioned whether sacrificing affordable housing on the grounds of viability would be worthwhile.
He said: “I notice in the Town Council submission that they say the new school that this is going towards financing will not actually be adequate for future growth, which seems a bizarre situation.
“We’re being asked to accept less than 40 per cent affordability because that will enable greater contribution to the new school, which is not going to be fit for purpose.”
Part of the submission from Great Dunmow Town Council read: “The perception expressed in the Neighbourhood Plan is that the new school would be larger than the existing one, to accommodate the growth of the town, which has not materialised.”
The application sought outline permission for up to 200 dwellings, the demolition of existing school buildings and the creation of public open space, landscaping, drainage and vehicle access on the site.
In addition to the lack of affordable housing, the council felt the plans represented “harmful urbanisation” of a rural area, according to a council report.
The site neighbours eight Grade II listed buildings, including Newton Hall.