Decision details

To approve consultation on a proposal that the County Council should establish a new primary school to maintain school place sufficiency in response to expected housing growth in Knaresborough.

*PLEASE NOTE This decision was originally published on or near the date of the decision and so call in no longer applies. It has been re-published as part of the change in committee management system that we use.*

New school sites and accompanying developer contributions have been secured through section.106 agreements for Knaresborough and North Northallerton. Planning approval has been secured for both sites and procurement will commence during Autumn 2020. The expected opening date for both schools is September 2022 but this will be kept under review in light of ongoing uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

The new schools will be free schools in accordance with the DfE free school presumption guidance issued in November 2019. The presumption route contains an expectation that LAs will have undertaken stakeholder consultation prior to commencing the process which seeks to secure an academy sponsor for each school.

Manse Farm is a development of 600 dwellings on which development has started during the past year, initially with some of the required highway infrastructure. Latest indications are that a build trajectory of 80 per year is expected with first occupations in 2021/22. It forms part of c.1400 dwellings which, it is proposed, are to be constructed in Knaresborough in the medium to long-term. The proposed K25 Highfield Farm development is immediately adjacent to the Manse Farm site. The proposed new school would serve the immediate growth area formed by Manse Farm and K25 Highfield Farm and also support general school place sufficiency in Knaresborough for the medium to long-term.

The effects of the pandemic on the rate of house building and the housing market generally is not yet known. There is therefore potential that having commenced the required process NYCC may subsequently decide that September 2022 ceases to be the desired opening date. The situation will be kept under review.