New primary school pushed back, council says

The new primary school will be built next to the existing Holyrood Academy

Chard's new primary school will be built next to the town's existing secondary school, Somerset Council has confirmed.

The Chard eastern development area (CEDA), between the A358 Tatworth Road and the A30 Crewkerne Road, was originally meant to be home to two new primary schools along with at least 2,700 homes.

Work on the development has been delayed due to the ongoing phosphates crisis, which has also pushed back work on the new schools.

The council has now said it intends to build the new primary school next to Holyrood Academy on the western side of the town.

The council's capital programme includes £7.75 million of borrowing for the primary school building, with the majority of this funding expected to be spent between April 2026 and March 2028.

The new school will initially have enough space for 210 pupils and a 40-place nursery, and will be designed in such a way that it can be expanded as pupil numbers grow, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Two housing developments within the CEDA have been approved by the council in recent months, with Gladman Developments securing outline consent for 230 homes north of Crewkerne Road in January, and Summerfield Developments being given the go-ahead for 94 homes on Tatworth Road in February.

Both developments will generate funding towards new schools - the Gladman site providing just under £1.6 million and the Summerfield site about £636,000.

As part of a update to the council's executive committee on 8 September, officers admitted that the delivery of the new school could be delayed, along with the expansion of Herne View Church of England Primary School in Ilminster due to delays over "sign-off of key decisions".