Developers building schools?

[mam29]

Whats the requirement for developers building new estates to provide for school places?

I they want to build loads of executive new builds or cram as many houses as possible in shouldent they help fund the education bit why should lea foot the bill?

Reason I ask is eldest goes to small village school that was planning to relocate to double intake primary within the new estate.

The developers proposing 450houses and project just half form intake a year so want to agree to fund a school thats takes 15kids per year this seems mental?

Shouldent our lea and council planning say fund 60 places or dont buy the land? Its nhs land being sold off.

Locals are fuming as reckon its too many houses and places are tight at local schools as it is without adding moore to it seems mad.

Theres lots of new estates springing up but school places seem to get overlooked why is this?

There is no particular requirement. The LA can put conditions in place when granting planning permission but they don't have to.

Your figure of 60 Reception places seems far too high.

Based on national averages it is likely that only around 120 of these houses will have children of school age. On current average family sizes that gives about 220 children. If they are evenly spread across the school years that gives a little under 16 children per year. So unless there is some reason to believe this development is going to attract a significantly higher proportion of families with children than the national average the developer's figure seems about right.

So there may be justification for pushing the developers a little higher but not to 60. If the LA tried to put that as a condition it would probably be thrown out if the developer appealed.

Yes everyone thourght higher as its 15 on top of the current primary which they hoped to build to new buiild. current intake is 20per year and oversubscribed so add extra 15 thats 35places so guess could do with 45 intake at least. 15 just seemed stupidly low amount.

If the current school is already oversubscribed that isn't the developer's problem. The LA may be able to make them provide for the additional children that will live on the development but it is unlikely they can force them to cover for any existing shortfall.

I can't speak for the UK, but there have been large estates here where the developers have had to supply a fair chunk of cash towards the building of new schools when developing estates. These are master planned estates with approximately 10,000-30,000 residents, so ensuring that there is schooling is essential. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that schooling is available, but they usually expect the developers to make some sort of contribution, usually the portion of land is provided, or various sporting facilities which can be used by the community as well as the school.

Developers are generally required via their planning permission to contribute to the infrastructure. I think it is up to the local authority to decide how this money is spent. Of course the issue is now that it is illegal for local authorities to build new schools, so new schools at the heart of large developments is unlikely. Either surrounding schools will be enlarged or a chain will need to be brought in to set up a free school.

as LEAs are not allowed to open new schools
and round here HUNDREDS of new houses are being built in the already desirable catchments
and an s106 agreement could not be used for a Free School
maybe you need to make MR Gove allow LEAs back into education strategy (good luck)

I have in front of me an S106 agreement from this year where the developer has to provide land for a primary school. The LA concerned can seek proposals for the establishment of an academy or the developer can enter into a contract with an appropriate body to set up a free school on the site. The developer must also make a cash contribution that will go to any academy or free school established on the site or, if there isn't one, will be used to provide additional places at existing schools.

ah yes, providing the land : that is indeed common
but how the land is used - number of places for what year groups is not the developers problem ....

Basingstoke around Everest and the Popley houses are a clear case in point