School expansion set back by delayed consultation
Iveshead School, in Shepshed, needs to take on hundreds of new pupils in the next two years
- Published
Planners are waiting to hear if Sport England has withdrawn its objection to a school's expansion plans.
Leicestershire County Council approved part of the plan on Thursday for a new two-storey teaching block for Iveshead School in Shepshed.
Sport England had objected to the scheme, saying that the new building would lead to the "loss of playing field land".
Despite designs being altered to include a new field, the consultee is yet to give the plans the green light.
The school, which can currently teach 950 pupils, is needing to expand due to an expected deficit of places due to housing developments, Leicestershire County Council has said.
It has already accepted 210 new pupils for this academic year, and will need to welcome another 240 by 2025/2026.
A two-storey extension is set to be built at Iveshead School in Shepshed
At a meeting on Thursday, the council approved part of the plan for a new two-storey teaching block, including 10 new classrooms, a library, three seminar rooms, a media studies classroom with an audio-visual suite, and a post-16 centre, as well as offices, toilets, and a staff room.
However, the approval is subject to Sport England withdrawing its objection.
Lead planner Julie Thomas said her department had tried to contact the body but "simply cannot get hold of them".
She said she "fully anticipates" the consultee will remove its objection, as the new provisions exceed their accepted criteria, and put the delay down to the half-term school holiday.
However, if Sport England does not respond, the application will be sent to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which will have the option to weigh in on the decision.
This could delay the project by more than three weeks.
Sport England has been contacted for comment.
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