Delay in Bedelands School construction: Cllr Kirsty Lord raises concern

The initial procurement process was halted in 2023 when the costs rose substantially beyond the allocated funding, WSCC has started the procurement process again and has had to increase the funds available by £16.9m to £74.0m.

WSCC will now ask the Department for Education and Homes England for a larger contribution to the project because their original section 106 allocation of £18.2m is insufficient to overcome the challenges of the site allocated by Homes England which includes a steep drop in levels across the site.

The committee also heard that Bedelands Academy will now open in September 2026 in temporary accommodation on the site of The Burgess Hill Academy, moving to the permanent site in September 2027.

In the scrutiny meeting, Councillor Kirsty Lord (Hassocks and Burgess Hill South) expressed concerns about the potential impact on students at both Bedelands Academy and The Burgess Hill Academy, and asked for reassurances that the proposed Specialist Support Centre for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will go ahead.

"While we understand the reasons for this delay, the primary concern for my residents is that the uncertainty does not impact on the education and wellbeing of children in Burgess Hill and the wider catchment," stated Cllr Lord.

"Placing over 100 extra children in temporary accommodation on the site of another school raises questions about school management and the curriculum to which parents and teachers will wants answers. So it was disappointing that the Cabinet Member for Finance couldn’t answer questions about what is planned for the children.

“Given this, I therefore asked WSCC to bring details of the temporary arrangements to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee as soon as possible to ensure the details can be discussed in public with full input from the school. I will also be writing to senior council representatives with my concerns.

“The Council said that it was still their intention to provide a Specialist Support Centre at Bedelands Academy but they stopped short of a guarantee. With the ongoing delays at Woodlands Meed, and the recent decision not to proceed with a similar centre in Bognor Regis on financial grounds, I remain concerned that WSCC is struggling to fund appropriate provision for children with SEND.”