Plans approved to rebuild Crawley Secondary School
Holy Trinity CE School's application was given the nod by the planning committee on Tuesday
Last updated 15th Jan 2026
Plans to demolish and rebuild a Crawley secondary school have been approved by the borough council.
This new year will bring a new chapter for Holy Trinity CE School, in Buckswood Drive, whose application was given the nod by the planning committee on Tuesday (January 13).
The school opened in 1969. In a 2022 report, the government’s School Rebuilding Programme said it had building stock that was in ‘poor condition’ and ‘in need of development’.
The permission will not only provide an up-to-scratch building but will enable the school to increase its intake.
A representative of the school said: “The current school building is no longer fit for purpose. It’s well beyond its useful life, it’s increasingly expensive to maintain and has some safety issues. It fundamentally limits what the school can offer to its current student population.
“The school has worked hard with the Diocese and the Department for Education to secure funding for these proposals to replace a no-longer viable building with a safe modern learning environment for all future students.
“This development is an investment in the local community, in the children who already live here and the families who rely on this school, and whose futures are shaped by the quality of the environment they can provide.”
The plans will see the main school building demolished and replaced with an L-shaped, three-storey building.
There will also be extension and refurbishment work on the Young Building, which houses the arts and design technology section.
Five Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) will be added, for use by both students and the local community; a new outdoor learning area created; and new dedicated spaces for a memorial garden and chapel.
A new pedestrian and cyclist entrance will be opened via Bewbush Drive and the existing pedestrian access from Burbeach Close will be closed. Parking spaces will be added on the east of the site.
Building work is expected to take three years.
Kim Jaggard (Con, Maidenbower), who is a former teacher, described the plans as an ‘exciting development’.
She said: “I think it is going to make a huge difference to the children that attend the school. There’s nothing worse than teaching in a building where the ceiling crumbles as you’re standing there.”
The work will be carried out in phases, with the old school building staying open until the new one is built. The demolition of the main building will create a large courtyard at the centre of the site.
The committee heard concerns from one Horsham Road resident who said there was not enough screening from trees between the school and his property.
He was also worried about the impact of the new parking spaces, though the school representative said they would be shut outside of school hours and would be limited to use by teachers and staff.
To view the application, log on to planningregister.crawley.gov.uk and search for CR/2025/0203/FUL.