£1.5 million to create an expanded Elmswell Primary School

£1.5 million has been pledged to help increase pupil provision at Elmswell Primary School from 315 to 420 places with an expansion of the school, despite concerns from the local community and the parish council.

The money has come from a community infrastructure levy (CIL) bid from Suffolk County Council to finance the further school places with Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet approving the project.

Developers are required to pay CIL when building new homes in the area and bids from the latest CIL funding round were considered by district councillors at their cabinet meeting, with approval given on a request for £1,560,006 from the county council.

This will be made possible by the expansion of an existing standalone building in the school to accommodate three additional classrooms and a studio.

A new all-weather artificial grass pitch will also be created at the school, enabling outdoor PE lessons for students throughout the year, and the project includes improvements to the school’s car park to provide 60 extra covered scooter spaces.

The proposed extension has been met with some opposition from the local community, including Elmswell Parish Council, who would prefer for a new school to be built in the village.

However, Suffolk County Council has concluded that the extension is the best way to accommodate the anticipated increase in pupil numbers from September 2022, given the time needed to build a new school and the planning permission and funding required for this. Elmswell Primary School has also lent its support to the expansion.

Total costs for the project are estimated to be in the region of £2.22 million and section 106 contributions from developers will also be used to finance this and work on the expansion is expected to begin in January 2022.

David Burn, Mid Suffolk’s cabinet member for Planning, said: “This was a difficult decision on a CIL bid that received support from the local education authority and primary school but was met with considerable opposition from the local community, including Elmswell Parish Council.

“However, after much consideration, our cabinet concluded that Suffolk County Council could satisfactorily evidence why they have opted for an expansion to the existing school at this time, whilst also offering reassurance that this would not preclude a new school in Elmswell at a later date, if required.

“Today’s decision demonstrates our council’s continued commitment to working with partners to help provide the infrastructure needed to meet demand from housing growth, and will also secure a new all-weather sports pitch and extra covered scooter spaces at the school – supporting our ambition for Mid Suffolk residents to lead active and healthy lives.”

Rachel Hood, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for Education, SEND and Skills, added: “I am pleased we have been successful in securing additional funding which will enable us to move forward with our plans to expand Elmswell Primary School.

“The expansion will provide a much needed additional 105 places for children, which supports the increasing population and will help futureproof against potential demand from housing growth in the village.”

District CIL is income retained by the district council to spend on infrastructure to support development and must be applied for. The decision to spend significant amounts has to be taken by the cabinet.

Further information on how CIL works can be found on the council’s website and details about previous allocations are available on the council’s award-winning Developer Contributions Database.