New SEND school proposed for 2022 opening in Dorking
It would accommodate 180 pupils.
Last updated 30th Sep 2021
Plans for a new special school for 180 pupils in Dorking are being progressed despite Mole Valley District Council no longer allocating the proposed site for development.
Developer Bowmer + Kirkland (B+K) said it does still intend to submit a planning application later this year to build Betchwood Vale Academy on the A25 Reigate Road.
The former Chalcraft Nurseries site was set out in the council’s original Local Plan as land to be developed, but it was removed in a new version voted on earlier this month.
Despite this, B+K is pressing ahead with revised plans which would provide up to 180 places for pupils aged seven to 19 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – and said it could open in time for September 2022.
The building is being designed to meet the specific needs of learners with Communication and Interaction Needs (COIN) and Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), including High Functioning Autism.
It would, for example, create a low acoustic environment and enable outdoor learning with a sensory garden and animal therapy.
A spokesperson for the Betchwood Vale Academy project team said the “acute need for SEND school places in Surrey has been well documented” and many of the pupils would “otherwise be placed in special schools outside of the county”.
She added: “Ahead of submission of the revised plans the project team will be working in collaboration with Mole Valley District Council officers and a design review panel to ensure the new application better meets the requirements of the local planning authority and neighbouring community.”
The academy would be funded directly from the Department for Education (DfE) and form part of The Howard Partnership Trust, which also comprises the Fox Grove special school being built in Leatherhead.
Anyone wishing to follow Betchwood Vale’s progress can email here.