East Devon planners have approved a new primary school for Cranbrook despite describing its design as uninspiring. The three-form entry school, proposed on land at Cobdens on the edge of the town, will include a nursery, a community room, a multi-use games area and a grass sports pitch.
The need for more school places in Cranbrook was widely agreed, but members of East Devon District Council's planning committee were unenthusiastic about the look of the building. Councillor Mike Howe, Independent for Clyst Valley, called it "an effort in missed opportunity". He said: "It lacks inspiration for the children going through it, and while the right ethos will be internal, the inspiration of the building is not there, and it's a bog-standard, run-of-the-mill type development."
Councillor Kim Bloxham, who represents Cranbrook, agreed it was "very disappointing". She said: "I know the officers have tried hard and the report acknowledges the layout is not the best, but what a missed opportunity. I fully support the delivery of a school on this site, but I reluctantly support the delivery of this one." She also raised concerns about a lack of space at the front of the school where pupils and parents would gather at the start and end of the day.
The committee was told that this area outside the school would likely need to be maintained by Cranbrook Town Council in the long term, as it fell outside the official boundary of the planning application. The school is part of a major 1,400-home scheme, and the housing developer Persimmon will pass responsibility for such parcels of land to local authorities.
A spokesperson for Devon County Council, the applicant, told the committee the school was "a critical piece of education and community infrastructure". Speaking on behalf of Karen Worthington, a senior education officer, the spokesperson said: "It is needed to support the continued growth of Cranbrook, and the funding of £20 million will bring essential education capacity to the town as it expands."
The spokesperson said the scheme had been through two years of pre-application meetings to refine it, and its design was informed by Department for Education technical guidance and other official standards. He added that affordability was "challenging" in public sector budgets at present, and that construction should take one to two years. "The number of children already exceeds the capacity of the schools in Cranbrook, and neighbouring ones have limited availability, and there is a notable shortfall of early years provision," he said. "The delivery of this school and nursery is essential."
A computer image of part of the design for the proposed new primary school and nursery in Cranbrook. Image: Devon County Council.
Planners Back ‘Bog-Standard’ Cranbrook Primary School