Suffolk school expansion plans for four sites in Ipswich, Elmswell, Brandon and Brantham
Expansion plans have been unveiled for four Suffolk schools – which would see capacity increase by more than 100 pupils each if approved.
Suffolk County Council has launched four separate consultations on the proposals, saying: “This demand is mainly due to new housing developments coming forward.”
The first proposes an increase of 150 pupils at Chantry Academy, in Ipswich, to 1,050.
An extra 105 places at Brooklands Primary School, in Brantham, would take the school up to a capacity of 315, while Elmswell Primary School could also see a rise of 105 places – up to 420.
An uplift of 100 places IES Breckland School, in Brandon, would take the school up to 600 places.
According to the plans, Chantry will feature a new two-storey standalone teaching block alongside remodelling of existing facilities.
The Brooklands plans will also see internal remodelling alongside a new teaching building containing three classrooms, studio and small group rooms, as well as an artificial turf pitch.
At Elmswell, the additional pupils will be catered for with an extension to an existing standalone block for three classrooms and studio, as well as a main school extension.
IES Breckland plans feature a new two-storey standalone block.
A Suffolk County Council spokeswoman said: “We work closely with each of the schools and their academy trusts to ensure that the growth of the school is undertaken in partnership with them.
“We want to ensure that the appropriate spaces and facilities are provided and that there is as little disruption as possible to the existing teaching at each school.
“The four consultations currently under way are non-statutory pre-application planning consultations, for which Suffolk County Council is seeking views regarding the design and planning aspects of the project.
“This will enable us to gather the views of parents, local residents and potential building users, in order to respond to views and make amendments to the designs prior to the submission of the planning application, if appropriate.
“The target is for planning applications to be submitted over the coming months to enable the building projects to be complete for September 2022.”
The consultation on Chantry closes on April 16, while responses for the rest are open until April 27.
To take part, visit www.suffolk.gov.uk and follow the links to the consultations page.
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