'Outstanding' Surrey school at centre of relocation row faces new uncertainty

Plans for the new Reigate Priory Junior School in proposed Woodhatch Place location
-Credit: (Image: Noviun Architects)


Parents and families hoping relocation uncertainties surrounding an “outstanding” Surrey junior school would be nearing an end have been dealt a fresh blow. Surrey County Council has plans to move Reigate Priory Junior School to a new site within its own headquarters, despite push back from parents who claim the existing town centre site can be modernised.

But the council has been forced to put its plans on hold following the collapse of its building and design partner, which has meant work on the planning application has ceased. A spokesperson for the council said: “We have an important update about the decision-making timeline for Reigate primary provision.

"It has been necessary to adjust the timeline for the planning application that proposes Reigate Priory Junior School be relocated to Woodhatch Place. We now anticipate that the application will be brought to planning committee in summer 2025, rather than in 2024.”

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Additional ecological studies are also to be carried out in early summer. The council insists the planning application “remains live” and that its officers will “continue to consider all the documentation and responses relating to the application”.

The original planning application to move the school was rejected by the borough council in 2023 over traffic and safety concerns forcing the county council back to the drawing board. In January this year Surrey County Council then put two options out for consultation with people offered the choice of pressing on with the Woodhatch Place relocation plan or to move children into new schools across Reigate, described as assessing capacity across the town.

The council has yet to examine school capacity in the town, despite agreeing to in February, and insists the existing site cannot be made good or continued with. Surrey County Council said it expects a final decision on how to proceed in early autumn 2025.

The latest statement reads: “We are continuing to work closely with the Department for Education and they remain in full support of the relocation project. We understand this delay may be frustrating for some residents, but it is vital that we follow necessary procedures to ensure we find the best solution.

"The delay does not change the need to find a new setting for the school that is fit for the future. In the meantime, we will continue to work with Reigate Priory Junior School in its current location to help them manage their specific requirements."

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