
27.04.2023
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Touted as the "Right Support, Right Place, Right Time", DHA's in-house education experts Matthew Blythin and Rebecca Tilley recently reviewed the Government’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Plan, which aims to plan for better, fairer access to high quality special educational needs and disability support, regardless of where people live. This has culminated into a direct plan for delivery by the Department for Education which will see 33 new SEND free schools being taken forward and developed as of 2nd March 2023.
So What Does the Reform Mean for Planning?
Whilst the Improvement Plan does not directly set out any new planning-related initiatives, the step-change in SEND school delivery will undoubtedly necessitate more school development being considered on more challenging sites given the nature of project viability and site availability. It is anticipated that the increased recognition for, and evidence of, SEND need will continue to assist in making robust planning cases in these instances. This in turn should also lead to a welcome greater recognition of the particular SEND design and transport-related requirements that are so important in delivering high quality developments which put the needs of the pupils first.
One of our most recent SEND Schools successes is set to open this summer in the London Borough of Havering. The new school site is situated within the Metropolitan Open Land, which was ultimately outweighed by the overwhelming SEND need in the Borough. This acute need is resulting in otherwise constrained sites being considered for development, which is an encouraging move for the planning system and more importantly unlocking the delivery of the desperately needed SEND school places.
If you have a SEND or education project you’d like to discuss, or for further queries please contact Matthew Blythin or Rebecca Tilley.
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