Sandbach School redevelopment heads to committee

Cheshire East Council’s strategic planning board will consider a £60m project involving the demolition of 10 blocks and reworking of the grade two-listed Grammar School Building and Lodge Building.

The listed buildings are prized heritage assets, having been designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The work centres around the removal of later additions to the rear, along with general refurbishment.

CEC’s planning board meets on Wednesday 29 April to consider the proposals, on which Bowmer + Kirkland is the applicant, working on behalf of the Department for Education.

The music department will be in a link building between the two new blocks. Credit: planning documents

The 9.40-acre site is situated on the western side of Crewe Road, Sandbach and is within the Sandbach Settlement Boundary.

DPP, Jestico + Whiles and Purcell feature in a professional team also including Brindle & Green, Atelier Ten, Space Zero, HEXA, Gleeds, Ares, Arup, HPS Consulting, RPS TetraTech, and Environoise.

Officer recommendation is to delegate approval with conditions to the head of planning, subject to the submission of a protected species survey – a bat survey has not yet been carried out, but as the project is time-critical, the item makes this month’s docket while the matter is still being resolved.

Officers said that “following extensive discussions and updated details, the impact on the setting of the listed buildings is now considered acceptable”.

Works include:

• Removal of buildings at the end of their useful life
• Construction of new school buildings, specifically a new teaching block, and a new swimming pool and sports facilities block
• These two blocks will be connected at first floor level by a bridge containing a new music department
• Refurbishment of six existing buildings
• New pedestrian and cycling pathway adjacent to the current vehicular access with new car parking and cycle shelters added
• New hard and soft landscaping

DPP’s planning statement said that the swimming and sports facilities in a new 80,000 sq ft block are also intended for community use.

Recent planning applications have covered repairs to the listed buildings, and changes of use from residential to educational support at the Lodge.

Sandbach School is a secondary school, with capacity for 1,200 pupils aged 11-16 and 300 in the sixth form. There are currently 205 pupils on the SEN register.

The proposals can be viewed on CEC’s planning portal, references 25/4731/FUL and 25/4732/LBC.