The STEP Burfield Academy will be closing from the September 2023 term for a year with pupils transferring to their site at Pheonix school. This will be to permit the completion of remedial construction works. It remains my understanding that no cost will be incurred by East Sussex County Council for these works.
The temporary buildings to be placed at Phoenix Academy will likely require planning consent. It is not an East Sussex run school. The application would be submitted by the Academy to Wealden District Council Planning Department for determination. This is due to the Academy Trust status of the site. It will be down to Wealden District Council to consider and decide whether a School Travel Plan is secured off the back of the temporary expansion. Such Travel plans tend to require input from East Sussex in its capacity as Highway Authority.
County Hall do tend to favour there being a Travel Plan in place on almost all new or expanded schools; but they cannot pre-judge an application which has yet to be lodged. Given the anticipated 200 increase in pupil numbers expected at Phoenix, which is currently operating at about 50% capacity, I would be keen to see a revised Travel Plan for the site, particularly in view of current problems on Marshfoot Lane. The application is likely to be submitted to Wealden District Council in the next couple of weeks.
Separately, I remain very keen to see a proper Travel Plan provided by the academy for the current Burfield school site, something that has been required by County and lacking from the school to-date, along with a reopening of the school "kiss and drop facility" which was closed under the cover of Covid and has never been reopened despite it being a planning condition placed on the operation of the school from the very outset. I have been working with local residents for the last year to persuade the school of the need to do this as a matter of urgency in the interests of compliance, safety, and social responsibility.
