Option 3: Build an entirely new school at London Road, Biggleswade.
What this option involves
This option would build a completely new, purpose-built school on a new site on London Road, Biggleswade. It would replace the current Ivel Valley School on Hitchmead Road.
The London Road site includes what used to be Abbotsbury older person’s care home (demolished) and day centre (which are no longer in use), a Youth Centre and the Biggleswade Centre. The Biggleswade Centre is currently still in use, offering a range of centre and community-based activities for people with a learning disability, including those who have profound and multiple learning disabilities (this is now sometimes known as profound intellectual and multiple disabilities). This option also includes using the land currently used for the youth centre.
There are currently no formal plans for the Biggleswade Centre or the youth centre to change, and this would be subject to a separate consultation and decision-making process, which would add significantly to the timeline.
The option is for an entirely new build school on one site. It would include all the facilities required and to the required standards.
This image gives an indication of the footprint of the site.
Cost: £56 million
When we expect the first pupils to be in new classrooms: Summer 2029
Estimated completion of all works: Winter 2029/30
Pros
- least disruptive to children and staff, as the build is on a completely separate site
- all facilities will be built to the BB104 standard without any need to work around existing building constraints
Cons
- high cost – reducing funding available for other required SEND places
- full funding currently not in place; the cost of any additional borrowing would likely require cost-saving/service level reduction elsewhere within council services
- requires the Biggleswade Centre and the Youth Centre to be re-provided
- changes in ground levels on the site may cause operational difficulties in moving pupils around
- two-storey buildings – creates operational issues and increases the cost because of the need to include lifts and evaluation spaces that are not required when building a single-storey teaching block
- longer delivery time
Additional information
None.