Planning approval for SEND school quashed by court

Mole Valley District Council said they will reconsider the application for Betchwood Vale school

Plans for a new special school in Surrey have gone back to the drawing board after the High Court quashed the original decision.

Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) said it will reconsider the planning application for Betchwood Vale school, in Dorking, which was approved in November 2023.

The decision was quashed over a failure to carry out an appropriate assessment in respect of habitat regulations.

Margaret Cooksey, the council’s cabinet member for planning, said: "I’m aware that our residents will want to know what it means in practical terms. When a decision is quashed, it’s back to the first stage of the planning application process and we are therefore holding this planning application as undetermined."

The school had a provisional opening date of September 2025.

More than 80% of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have to commute out of the district to attend school, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council has said a single claimant challenged the planning decision at the High Court.

The council said it will be asking for views on the new information via a public consultation.

Cllr Cooksey said: "Recognising the urgent need for SEND school provision - and to avoid future legal complications and excessive costs - MVDC, after consulting with the Department for Education opted to request the court to quash the original decision so MVDC could reconsider the application.

"Regrettably, at the moment, I cannot be more precise about the timeline for the application.

"But I can reassure all interested stakeholders, that we will seek to process the application as swiftly as possible."