New mobile classrooms are planned to be installed at a primary school as there is not enough money to build a permanent extension. Cambridgeshire County Council said the classrooms are needed to provide spaces for children with special educational needs. However, the authority said the pressure on its budget meant there are no plans to provide a permanent solution in the near future.
A planning application to install the mobile classrooms at Townley Primary School, in Christchurch, has been put together by the county council. The new mobile classroom block is proposed to be installed next to the dining hall, and is planned to include two classrooms along with toilets and storerooms. The county council has asked for permission to keep the mobile classrooms until August 2030.
The plans also said an existing mobile classroom will be removed when a permanent school extension for the nursery is constructed. The county council said: “Townley Primary School currently has a need for a mobile classroom to accommodate a new Enhanced Resource Base (ERB), supporting students with Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) support needs.
“This will enable the local authority to meet its educational objectives and SEND sufficiency plans. Pressure on the council’s capital budget is such that the council has now reached its borrowing limit. Therefore, there are no plans to provide a permanent solution for this use within the near future.”
The county council said the mobile classrooms would help children be able to attend a school nearer to their home. It said: “The proposed modular building will allow the school to provide adequate places to a number of SEND/SEMH children close to the school, who would otherwise have to attend school much further away from home, increasing costs to the council, and preventing them from integrating with other children in their community.”