Gemma Bowry and Martin Hallum from Hampshire
County Council gave an update on the proposed secondary school
which could be summarised as follows.
- That
public consultation for the Secondary School design were planned
for the Summer of 2024.
- That the
design was in its early stages, and it was planned to consult
during the summer of 2024, with a planning application submitted in
the autumn of 2024.
- That the
scheme was intended to be completed by September 2027, with an
estimated two years of construction on-site due to challenging
topography and ground conditions.
- That the
project would comply with future statutory requirements, including
building regulations and climate-sustainable policies.
- That the
timings for delivery of the second primary school were uncertain
but not likely to before 2029, as Cornerstone Primary School had
sufficient capacity presently although pupil numbers were
constantly under review.
Melissa Doughty from Hampshire County Council
gave an update on the proposed new Special Educational Needs and
Disabilities (SEND) school which could be summarised as
follows:
- The
intention was to split the site into two parts: a special needs
school on the north and housing on the south.
- The school
had secured funding as part of a successful bid with the Department
for Education.
- The
current, high-level timeline for the project included consulting in
the Spring of 2024, construction starting in 2025, and completion
in the late summer of 2026.
Members raised concerns and questions, which
included the following:
- Were
officers liaising with Head Teachers of nearby schools about the
progress being made and the overall timing of the
project?
- Could
officers confirm if the all-weather pitches would be available by
September 2027 as there was a significant need for sports pitches
in North Whiteley and were crucial for local clubs like Whiteley
Wanderers.
- Further
questions were asked regarding the sports pitches, including the
possibility of bringing forward the availability of the pitches,
whether the sports pitches would be under the school's control and
available for use by outside agencies like Whiteley Wanderers and
how this would be managed.
- Regarding
the proposed site for the SEND school, could officers advise how
much housing would be included on the land?
These points were responded to by Gemma Bowry,
Martin Hallum and Melissa Doughty accordingly.