Special needs school approved despite 'eyesore' claims

Plans for a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school in North Yorkshire have been approved despite criticism it would be "staggeringly ugly".

The multimillion-pound facility for 100 pupils, proposed by the Department for Education (DfE), will be built on farmland at Osgodby, near Selby.

Councillors were told if it was not built, children would continue having to travel up to four hours a day to and from the nearest suitable schools.

In an attempt to lessen the impact of the development, North Yorkshire councillors agreed to impose a list of conditions and requests on the planning consent.

Those conditions included changes to the colour of the building’s proposed yellow cladding and a request to lower the speed limit outside the school.

However, the meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee heard that all the conditions and requests could come to nothing if the DfE said they were unaffordable or if highways officers opposed lowering the speed limit.

Councillors had earlier heard that there had been calls for a SEND school in the area for "years", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A government funding bid for a school had first been made six years ago after local families had "struggled" for a long time, having to bus youngsters to schools in other areas such as Harrogate and Scarborough, the committee was told.

One parent of a SEND pupil told the meeting that special needs pupils in the area were travelling almost two hours to school each way daily, and new specialist provision closer to home would be “hugely welcome”.

Councillor Karl Arthur, who represents the area, said while he was in favour of a new SEND school for the district, the proposed location beside the busy A63 Hull Road was wrong as it would be “extremely dangerous” at school-run time.

Criticism was also voiced at the meeting about the school's appearance, with Councillor Andrew Lee claiming local residents were having "an eyesore, a monstrosity" imposed on them.

Meanwhile, Councillor Andy Brown described the proposed building as "staggeringly ugly".

Concerns over the fact the school, which will employ an estimated 70 members of staff, would be built on top grade farmland were also heard.

However, planning officers had previously said the area benefited from a high proportion of the best and most versatile farmland, so the need to safeguard it was "not as critical as it may be in other locations".

The plans for the school were unanimously approved by councillors.

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