School for children with special needs in Horsham to be considered by district council

The application for Vincent House, in North Parade, will be discussed by members of the planning committee on Tuesday (February 6)

If approved, the school will be classed as an independent non-maintained school, outside the control of the Local Education Authority, meaning the county council would have no say in its running.

Instead, it would be run by The Aurora Group, which has a number of other such schools across the country.

In a design statement submitted with the application, a spokesman said: “Our mission is to provide innovative, high quality education, care and support, enabling all children and young people to thrive and fulfil their aspirations.”

As well as the change of use from office to school, the application also seeks permission to build a Multi Use Games Area and a two-storey link between the main building and an out-building.

The council has received 30 objections to the plans, with concerns raised including over-development, road safety and whether the site was suitable for a school.

An objection from the Horsham Trafalgar Neighbourhood Council laid out a number of concerns from residents.

It added: “The plans do not, in many residents’ view, satisfactorily account for how the already crowded North Parade will be impacted by a morning and afternoon ‘rush’ of vehicles visiting the school, with an entry and exit point so near the traffic lights and [Hurst Road] intersection.”

To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/23/1566.