West Sussex County Times November 15 1985

New backing for plans to build school

Plans to build a new primary school in Cuckfield came a step nearer this week when did Sussex district Council's development and transport committee agreed unanimously that a new school should be built. 

West Sussex County Council is seeking the views of Mid Sussex District Council before submitting a planning application. It is due to be discussed at the planning committee meeting in a few weeks time. 

The school, if built, will be sited on land to the rear of London Lane and Glebe Road, Cuckfield, and will accommodate between 150 and 210 pupils. 

Mid Sussex District Council's Health and Housing Committee gave its backing to the plan for a new school when it met last week. 

The intention is to relocate the present primary school from its site in Church Street. It is a 17th-century listed building which Mr Stephen Coburn, District Council Councillor for Cuckfield, says is totally unsuitable for the needs of modern education. 

Plans were made some years ago to extend the existing school, but a subsequent public inquiry in 1978 ruled against this. As a member of the Cuckfield Society, Mr Coburn objected to the original plan to extend the school. 

The proposed new site is owned by West Sussex County Council and has been earmarked for a school since 1963, although it is outside the built-up area boundary defined in the Haywards Heath interim district plan. 

With the growth of Haywards Heath and Cuckfield, it is felt the new site is more centrally located in relation to the schools catchment area. While all the counsellors agreed on this, some were worried about access to the site, which could mean the demolition of two council houses in Glebe Road. 

Mrs Zillah Birch said the that while she agreed a new school was needed she was worried that the county wants to demolish these houses “for their own selfish gain and want to build houses on the land left”. The site covers 3.5 acres, but the school will only take up 2.5 acres of this, and it is proposed by the county planning office that the demolished houses could be replaced by 4 to 6 dwellings on land to the north of the site.

Mrs Birch said “we certainly have no intention of relaxing our policy on housing”. 

It was agreed that when an application for planning permission is submitted it will be given careful consideration, providing the views of the residents adjacent to the site are taken into consideration by the county council.