Bury St Edmunds new SEND school could open in 2022
Plans to build a new special educational needs school in Bury St Edmunds have been submitted – with hopes it will be open in September 2022.
Suffolk County Council lodged the planning application for the new 80-place school to be built next to Abbots Green Academy, on the Moreton Hall estate.
It will cater for pupils aged nine to 16 with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.
The new school is part of the authority’s £45million plan to create more than 800 new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school places.
Councillor Mary Evans, cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills at Suffolk County Council, said: “The new school will complement new special schools and specialist units being developed across the county and is an important element in Suffolk’s programme to transform special educational needs provision in Suffolk.”
The design and access statement provided by agents Concertus said it would sit comfortably with the nearby existing schools, while careful consideration of the pupils’ needs had also been carried out.
The report continued: “The location of the site close to established educational facilities makes sense as it is a similar use and the location is easily accessible via major roads, which is a significant factor for an SEMH school due to its widespread catchment area and the nature of pupil transportation to and from the site.”
The plans are likely to be presented for a decision later this year, with work then taking place in 2021 ahead of a planned September 2022 opening.
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