23 Gatwick Road, , , RH10 9TP Telephone: 01293 538779 email: [email protected]

8th December 2017

Dear Sir/Madam,

Planning permission for The Gatwick School

I am writing to let you know of our plans to submit a planning application to Crawley Borough Council to secure the permanent location of The Gatwick School on its current site. We would welcome your comments on this proposal in advance of the planning application.

Background

The Gatwick School opened on in September 2014 and is operated by Aurora Academies Trust, a charitable organisation which runs six schools across Sussex and Brighton.

Since opening the school has gone from strength to strength and now has nearly 500 pupils and 55 staff members. It received a “Good” rating from Ofsted in its first inspection in 2017. When full, the school will have 1020 pupils aged 4-16. The school provides much needed school places for local families in Crawley and Horley.

Since opening, the school has developed many community links and works closely with businesses on Manor Royal including Thales and Elekta supporting its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) curriculum. Pupils have also been involved in a number of charitable projects including the Five-0 Project for St Catherine’s Hospice and work with the Sussex Wildlife Trust on Crawter’s Brook.

Future plans

The school occupies a former office block on Gatwick Road which had been empty for a number of years. The school has obtained permission for a temporary change of use of the building and is now seeking permission for a permanent change of use together with other improvements on site. This includes plans for a sports hall and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) which will be available for community use outside of school hours.

The school has listened to concerns previously raised by Crawley Borough Council and has made some changes to its plans. This includes making sure the proposed sports hall and MUGA are positioned to allow for additional short term parking spaces at the rear of the site for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up visits as the school grows. This on-site short-term parking will help

Aurora Academies Trust A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 08107711 Glenleigh Park Primary Academy, Gunter’s Lane, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex TN39 4ED

ensure the on-street parking in surrounding roads is not made worse by people parking for the school.

Plans are available to view at https://www.thegatwickschool.org.uk/school-development/

Summary

The Gatwick School is a popular and successful school which is now well established on Manor Royal and within the wider community. The school is hoping that Crawley Borough Council will support its further development by granting permission for a permanent change of use and additional facilities.

In summary the proposals will comprise

 Permanent planning permission for The Gatwick School;  External recladding of the building with new windows and doors;  Extension to provide a new sports hall for school and community use;  Provision of a multi-use games area for school and community use;  Retention of the existing access with management of the car parking and dropping off facilities;  Provision for a new pedestrian and cycle crossing point on Gatwick Road.

Your comments

We would welcome your comments on our proposals. The simplest way to respond is to complete the online questionnaire available via the following link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Z6PBQDT

Alternatively, you can send your comments by email to [email protected] or by post to The Gatwick School, 23 Gatwick Road, Crawley, RH10 9TP.

Please submit any comments by Friday 5th January 2018.

Yours faithfully,

Tim McCarthy Chief Executive Officer Aurora Academies Trust

Aurora Academies Trust A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 08107711 Glenleigh Park Primary Academy, Gunter’s Lane, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex TN39 4ED