Bedford Borough Council is planning ahead to ensure it meets the demand for an additional 2,700 new school places by 2027/28, a meeting heard.
The Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard on Monday, January 30, that the council has been working to develop a five-year plan for the delivery of the needed school places.
It added that the latest forecasts suggest that the total number of pupils on roll by the 2027/28 academic year will be 16,992 primary age pupils and 13,781 secondary age pupils.
This is an increase of 738 primary age pupils and 1,958 secondary age pupils compared to January 2022.
Chris Morris, acting chief officer for education, SEND and schools infrastructure, told the committee that the demand for additional school places is being driven by the government’s housing targets for the borough.
The report showed that among the project feasibility studies was an assessment for an additional one form entry and a two form entry for Lincroft Academy.
Councillor Jane Walker (Conservative, Clapham) asked: “Can you assure us that there is going to be enough money to do these expansions?
“I’m thinking particularly of Lincroft, Oakley Parish Council is very concerned because Lincroft got very little money to become a secondary.
“I’m sure you know that it’s very lacking in facilities, the facilities are very shabby, and not really suitable for the older children,” she said.
“So they need extra funding and if we’re going to expand them further then the parish council is concerned that Lincroft may be forced to look at selling parts of their playing field to fund extra classrooms etc.
“So can you assure us that if this is decided that they will be expanded, that they will get the money to be able to do that?” she asked.
Chris Morris said that schools cannot be forced to expand.
“Where a school sells land to fund its own expansion, that would be the school’s decision,” he said.
“But if we were asking the school to increase its capacity through capital works, we would be funding that.
“There is funding available, but it’s funding that is available for multiple projects.
“So it wouldn’t be a case of any schools having to sell lands or assets to fund a capacity that we are asking them to increase,” he said.
Councillor Walker asked when a new secondary school is the solution rather than just adding “little bits here, there and everywhere”.
Mr Morris said there wasn’t a “hard and fast” rule.
“If you get to the point where you have a local secondary school that has ten forms of entry and there are more developments coming through, then you’d have a conversation around the need for another secondary school,” he said.
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