Plans submitted for new sports hall and games area at Biggleswade school as part of two-tier transition

Plans have been submitted for a new sports hall at a Biggleswade school.

Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) has put forward the application for the new three-court sports block at Edward Peake School.

The application also includes plans for a new multi-use games area and other external works including landscaping across the existing school site. It will also include an extra six parking spaces, bringing the total to 78.

According to the planning application, the new hall would replace the existing sports hall, providing an expanded space to accommodate the school's growing needs.

The application states: “During school hours, the building will serve as a venue for curriculum-based teaching and school sporting events, with additional accessibility for community use after hours.”

The new sports hall would to be located to the east of the existing school building, while the MUGA would be located to the south east of the site, along the eastern boundary within the existing playing field.

The documents add that the scheme has been subject to early discussions with both Central Bedfordshire Council planners, their internal consultation team, and Sport England – with a meeting on December 20 to talk through the proposals with the planner and highways officer.

As a result, changes to initial plans included moving the floodlights to reduce the impact on nearby flats and moving the MUGA far as is practical from the southern boundary of the site, without resulting in removal of trees, to protect the amenity of the neighbouring properties to the south.

The move is part of regional plans to switch from a three tier education system – a combined lower, middle and upper school – to a primary and secondary model, in order to ensure continuity in education provision from primary school, until pupils take their GCSEs in Year 11. It also aims to accommodate an expected increase in pupils as the region continues to grow.

The transition includes changes for areas including Potton, Biggleswade, Dunton and Wrestlingworth. Edward Peake, in Potton Road, is among schools which are undergoing such changes, with its extension from a middle school – Years 5 to 8 – to a secondary school age range, up to Year 11.

In February 2023, the previous executive member for families, education and children, Councillor Sue Clark, explained: "The approval of these plans for schools in the Biggleswade area is a significant milestone in our Schools for the Future programme’s ambitious aims to raise education standards in Central Bedfordshire.

“The change to the two-tier model is part of this and, having received a majority of support from parents and the local community in a statutory consultation about the plans, we are confident this change will ensure the Biggleswade area has the right schools, in the right places, delivering the best education.”

CBC says the expansion of Edward Peake at its current site, makes the best use of the authority’s ‘already established building assets’, demonstrates its ‘commitment to efficiency with public money’ and ‘builds on the existing facilities which will enable the school’s curriculum now, and in years to come’.

The application is set to be decided in mid-April.