Primary school and pre-school at Land North Of Railway And East Of Henley Road, Ipswich

What was proposed

The application sought approval for a 420-place primary school, a 60-place pre-school, playing fields, parking, landscaping, drainage and associated works.

“25/00514/REM Ward:WHITTON Proposal:Submission of Reserved Matters (appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) for the construction of a 420-place Primary School and 60 Place Pre-School, associated playing fields, parking, landscaping, drainage and other associated works; in relation to Outline Planning Permission IP/16/00608/OUT comprising up to 1,100 residential dwellings(use class C3); a local centre (to accommodate up to 250sqm (net) of convenience floor space (A1), up to…”

“The Application also seeks the part discharge of Condition 20 (Construction and Environment Management Plan) and Condition 26 (the Arboricultural Method Statement) of IP/16/00608/OUT. IP/16/00608/OUT was an EIA development and an Environmental Statement was submitted with the application under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 (as amended).”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The 2.09-hectare site lies within Henley Gate, in Flood Zone 1, alongside housing, infrastructure and the future local centre.

“A Non-Material Amendment submitted under ref:25/00461/NMMA was approved on the 22 nd July 2025 to Outline Planning Permission 16/00608/OUT (as set out above) to amend the description of development from 'provision of land for a primary school' to 'provision of a primary school'. 1.5.”

“2.2.The site is located within Flood Zone 1, the lowest zone in terms of probability of flood risk. 2.3.There are no Public Rights of Way crossing this site nor any existing trees or hedgerows within the application red line boundary of the site. There is a hedgerow (H001) and two Field Maples (T2 and T3) that are to be retained located along the north-east boundary, which is contained within Phase 1, but the root protection area of T002 extends into the application site.”

Officer report

Planning history

Outline permission was granted in 2020, followed by an amendment confirming school provision and approval for preparatory school-site earthworks.

“D)Condition 20 (Construction and Environment Management Plan) of IP/16/00608/OUT will not be discharged as part of this approval. Background 1.1. This is a Reserved Matters application pursuant to Outline Planning Permission 16/00608/OUT. Outline Planning Permission was granted on the 31st January 2020.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended granting consent subject to conditions, after considering the outstanding drainage consultation and concluding that the proposal was generally acceptable.

“Recommendation A) That, subject to taking into account consultation responses on the Revised Drainage Design Report and Drainage Plan running until the 12 th March 2026, and being satisfied that these do not raise any matters requiring further information and these are not already addressed in this report, authority is given to the Head of Service for Planning and Development to grant consent subject to the conditions set out in section B of this report.”

“B) Subject to the following conditions (briefly): Conditions: 1.Time limit 2.Approved Plans (compliance) 3.Materials for the development 4.Notwithstanding the submitted details, materials and design for the block paved areas on the school site (including samples) 5.Details of entrance gate 6.Hard landscaping and boundary treatment implementation 7.Soft Landscaping implementation 8.Compliance with Landscape Management plan 9.Visibility Splays (compliance) 10.Vehicle Access to…”

Officer report

Objections and concerns

Neighbouring landowners objected to the original sports-pitch drainage route, but the objection was withdrawn after revised drainage details were submitted.

“BDW, the neighbouring landowner and developer of the Henley Gate Phase 2A and 2B sites, has submitted a representation objecting to the sports pitch drainage proposals, laying a new land drain crossing the Crest Nicholson spine road and through BDW privately owned land in order to outfall to the historic ditch.”

“Barrat David Wilson removed their holding objection to the proposal based on these revised details via email correspondence on the 09.02.2026. Policy 5.1. National Planning Policy National Planning Policy Framework National Planning Practice Guidance National Design Guidance 5.1.Local Planning Policy Ipswich Core Strategy and Policies DPD (March 2022): Policies ISPA1 (Growth in the Ipswich Strategic Planning Area); ISPA2 (Strategic Infrastructure Priorities); CS1…”

Officer report

Who spoke at the meeting

The Senior Planning Officer presented the application, while late representations were made on behalf of Crest Nicholson and Persimmon Homes.

The committee’s decision

The committee agreed consent subject to conditions and informatives, part-discharged the arboricultural condition and did not discharge the construction management condition.

“C) Condition 26 (the Arboricultural Method Statement) of IP/16/00608/OUT will be part discharged as part of this approval.”

“D) Condition 20 (Construction and Environment Management Plan) of IP/16/00608/OUT will not be discharged as part of this approval.”

Minutes