Two bids to build classrooms for vulnerable children with special needs and disabilities will be decided tonight by Wokingham Borough Council's planning committee (Wednesday, May 20). Planning officers recommend both schemes for approval.
Keep Hatch Primary School
The proposal is for a detached, single-storey SEND unit for up to 15 pupils with six staff, sited on an existing concrete playground so no sports pitches or outdoor play space would be lost. The design includes horizontal cladding, a flat and mono-pitch roof with solar panels, plus dedicated sensory and hygiene facilities. Neighbouring homes are more than 40 metres away and officers say the building would integrate well with the school.
Highway impacts are predicted to be minimal - about 14 two-way vehicle movements at peak times - and no extra parking is needed beyond the existing 39 spaces. Cycle parking would be expanded and a school travel plan introduced. The scheme would deliver an 11.33 per cent biodiversity net gain through habitat measures and bat, bird and bee bricks.
Bulmershe School, Chequers Way, Woodley
This larger proposal seeks a single-storey SEND unit for around 25 pupils and eight staff within the school campus, including solar panels and landscaping. About 280 square metres of grass would be lost, but officers say sufficient outdoor space would remain and Sport England raised no objection.
Additional parking is included - eight staff spaces and dedicated drop-off bays - with improved pedestrian access and cycle storage. Trip generation is expected to stay low. The scheme promises a 12.24 per cent biodiversity net gain with long-term habitat management secured over 30 years.
Planning officers say both proposals comply with local and national planning policies, would provide essential education infrastructure and would not cause significant harm to residential amenity, traffic or the environment. Both applications are recommended for approval subject to conditions on drainage, travel planning, construction management and ecological enhancements.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
