Plans for new Forge Wood primary school approved

It will be built within the 1,900 home development to the north east of Crawley which was granted on appeal by the planning inspector in early 2011.

The homes are already under construction and the developer, Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey, is hoping that the school will be open by September 2017.

Permission for the two-form entry school with a capacity of 420 pupils was granted by Crawley Borough Council’s planning committee last Tuesday (June 7).

Councillor Kim Jaggard (Con, Maidenbower) thought that plans looked ‘fabulous’, but asked why they were not just going ahead with the expanded school.

Officers explained that land to the south of the playing fields would be safeguarded to allow for future expansion, to potentially cater for an extra 210 pupils, but the developer was only required to provide a two-form entry school.

Councillor Martin Stone (Con, Ifield) said: “I welcome the forward thinking of the plans for expansion of the school in the future.”

Planning permission has already been granted by CBC for a temporary ‘embryo’ school site within the area designated for the community centre’s car park.

The school will be run by multi-academy trust Glyn Learning Foundation Schools.

The application includes playing fields, playgrounds, sports pitches and courts, as well as car and cycle parking.

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