More than £180k awarded for expansion of Suffolk village’s community college
Thurston Community College already educates more children than any other school in Suffolk
A bid of more than £180,000 has been awarded for the expansion of a Suffolk village’s community college.
Members of Mid Suffolk’s cabinet met earlier this week to discuss the latest round of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding allocations, which included a £188,548 bid from the county council relating to the expansion of Thurston Community College, in Norton Road.
The county council said it needed the money to offset the remaining costs associated with buying the land in June last year, and fencing it so it could be used by the college for education purposes before the expansion works could take place.
Cllr Harry Richardson, Thurston ward member, said: “This funding bid is an important milestone in delivering the infrastructure needed to accommodate the significant housing development in Thurston.”
As it stands, Thurston Community College already educates more children than any other school in Suffolk and has the largest catchment area nationally, with demand for the facilities predicted to increase with local house-building.
A council report stated: “By securing additional land and bringing it into school use now, it will enable the school to expand in the future and meet the demand for additional pupil places.”
The fencing of the land is expected to be completed within 20 weeks.
A planning application for 10 drop-off points with 60 car parking spaces and cycle parking, as well as land provision for a school playing field to accompany the expansion, was approved by the county council’s planning team on Monday.