DISCUSSIONS are taking place over a potential new primary school on the Peel Hall site.

A reserved matters application for 404 homes on land at Peel Hall was approved, subject to conditions, by the council’s development management committee last month.

The reserved matters application is for the first phase of development, consisting of the new properties, highway layout, public open space – inclusive of a community building – and associated infrastructure.

It follows the granting of outline planning permission by the secretary of state in November 2021, following a public inquiry, for a mixed-use development – including 1,200 homes – at Peel Hall.

The report to the committee highlighted that the outline planning permission is for the mixed-use development of the site, predominantly for up to 1,200 dwellings ‘with a local centre (retail and other commercial uses and pub/restaurant), care home, potential school site and supporting infrastructure’.

The council has been asked if it expects a new school to be built on the Peel Hall land – and, if a new school is not built, if it believes the current schools in the area can accommodate for the increase in pupils, following the development of the 1,200 homes on the land.

A spokesman said: “The impact of the proposed development on education provision in the local area was considered by the secretary of state in their decision to grant outline planning permission for the Peel Hall development.

“The secretary of state concluded that the impact of the development could be successfully mitigated for primary education through land being made available for a potential new primary school or in the event of school not being provided on site, a financial contribution of up to £4.5m and for secondary education through a financial contribution of up to £3.492m.

“Discussions between the council and the applicant regarding the potential provision of a new primary school on the Peel Hall site are taking place in accordance with the requirements of the outline planning permission.”

The council was also asked when it expects plans for the remaining 796 homes on the land to come forward.

The spokesman said: “The applicant is free to submit further reserved matters for the remaining homes in accordance with condition two on the outline planning permission which requires the applicant to submit all reserved matters applications within 10 years of the permission being granted in November 2021.”