Decision made on SEND classroom in Wokingham
It would be at St Paul’s Church of England Junior School
Wokingham Borough Council has decided plans for a new classroom in a local school this week.
The special needs (SEND) facility would be built at St Paul’s Church of England Junior School, and it was weighed up at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday, June 10 at 7pm.
The Childrens’ Services department of the council had proposed a single-storey classroom at the Oxford Road school, but politicians were concerned about setting an example for building on playing fields.
Cllr Sam Aktar said: “The only slight concern I had is that this could set a precedent – the loss of a playing field. Could other schools then look at this and think ‘Oh, we could do something with our playing field?’ – just a little bit of risk there – keen to explore further.
“But I think on balance looking at the negatives and positives – do the gains outweigh the negatives? I think on this occasion they do.”
The scheme will create specialist accommodation for up to 16 pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
The classroom was the third to be considered in two months, and intended to be ready fast – in time for the 2026-2027 academic year starting this September.
The building would sit within the school grounds, to the south of the swimming pool and west of the main school building, and include teaching rooms, a sensory room and staff facilities.
But they wanted to put it on top of the school’s playing field and this is where problems began, as Sport England raised an objection, since there is already local and national policy to preserve these fields.
During the meeting, councillors agreed there is huge need for SEND classrooms but expressed unease about allowing development on playing field land, warning it could set a precedent for similar proposals in future.
Highways officers had not raised an objection, subject to conditions including a travel plan, parking management plan, cycle parking and delivery arrangements before the building is brought into use.
The plan will reduce parking from 30 spaces to 28, while adding two pick-up and drop-off bays, alongside safeguards to prevent overspill parking on nearby streets.
Environmental impacts are to be managed through conditions, with the scheme expected to deliver biodiversity net gain and include measures for drainage, tree protection, landscaping and wildlife including bats and badgers.
One willow tree will be removed, but other flora was proposed to balance the loss.
They added an extra condition to the plan: to reduce the carbon footprint of the classroom and allegedly deliver carbon reduction of 40 percent.
In spite the concerns about the playing field, the committee agreed that the educational and community benefits outweighed the policy conflict and voted unanimously to support their officers.
Because the development involves the loss of playing field land, and Sport England had objected, the decision will automatically be referred to the Secretary of State through the National Planning Casework Unit.
If the Secretary of State intends to consider it in detail, then the council may pull this application and proceed with another one for the time being.