An award-winning new academy for Stotfold

We initially carried out early engagement through pre-application discussions with the council and refined the proposals alongside local stakeholder engagement. This involved a public exhibition of plans at a nearby primary school as well as events to prospective parents in conjunction with the Bedfordshire Schools Trust (BEST), which were well attended and resulted in positive feedback.  The outcome led to refinements to the proposals and scheme mitigation ahead of the formal submission of the planning application.

In navigating the scheme through the planning process, we negotiated suitable planning conditions to secure the necessary planning mitigation without delaying work to commence. This meant the avoidance of any unnecessary pre-commencement conditions and ensured that the phased construction of the school was delivered as per the programme, despite the difficulties throughout the pandemic.

As well as overseeing the project team, we took on a planning advisory role and engaged with key stakeholders throughout the project. We also assisted post completion with a charitable eco-project for the carbon neutral no or never pod; a repurposed outdoor classroom project that was delivered in the Autumn of 2021.