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NEW ZERO-CARBON SECONDARY SCHOOL PLANS APPROVED
A new secondary school for children living in West Sussex has been given the green light with planning permission .
West Sussex County Council and co-applicant Homes England ’ s plans to create a zero-carbon school were approval by Mid Sussex District Council ’ s planning committee on 15 December 2022 . Committee members praised the ‘ excellent ’ and ‘ unique ’ designs before voting unanimously in favour .
The ambitious design will allow the school to generate its own renewable energy on site without using any fossil fuels . It aims to be the first school in West Sussex to achieve Passivhaus certification , the highest standard of energy efficiency a building can reach , and offer excellent educational facilities to 900 local children .
The school will be created at Homes England ’ s new Brookleigh development near Burgess Hill to provide a highquality education to families of the 3,500 homes and the surrounding area .
Nigel Jupp , West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills , said : “ Planning approval marks a major milestone in our ambition to create an environmentally-friendly and high-quality new secondary school in Mid Sussex .
“ It is uniquely designed to achieve Passivhaus certification and lead the way in energy efficiency . In addition , Brookleigh families will be able to walk or cycle to their new place of education , again demonstrating the County Council ’ s commitment to significantly reducing carbon emissions as part of our Climate Change Strategy .
“ By creating this modern and high standard school , we are investing in our children ’ s future and in the long-term future of our county .”
Graham Hyslop , Homes England ’ s Project Director , said : “ Homes England is committed to providing new schools as part of a truly sustainable community at Brookleigh . This planning approval is great news , and we ’ ll continue to work closely with West Sussex County Council and the University of Brighton Academies Trust as the ambitious design is built .
“ In order to further support low-carbon lifestyles and trafficfree commutes to school , we ’ ll be providing a network of walking and cycling routes at Brookleigh . These routes will link new homes , schools , parks and shops and make active travel an easy choice for families .”
West Sussex County Council has approved capital funding of £ 57.060m to build the secondary school , making it the largest capital project the council has delivered . This includes a £ 18.159m contribution from Homes England as part of the overall development .
The new secondary school is being delivered through the County Council ’ s multi-disciplinary consultancy partnership with Faithful + Gould , Atkins and Cundalls leading on the design .
The school will include a Special Support Centre enabling children with special educational needs and disabilities to be supported to learn in a mainstream school .