New special needs school in Central Bedfordshire "not what was promised" says councillor
Central Bedfordshire Council’s Executive has approved a new Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) primary special school – but the decision has drawn criticism over whether it meets past promises to expand local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
The Executive (Tuesday, August 5) heard the new school will provide up to 50 places at the former Pulloxhill Lower School, operated as a satellite of Larwood School by Brighter Futures Educational Trust.
A temporary site at Beech Road, Dunstable, is expected to open in December 2025 while the permanent site is prepared.
During the meeting, councillor Victoria Harvey (Non-Aligned Independent, Leighton Linslade West) challenged the narrative that this fulfilled leadership promises.
“It is good news, it is extremely good news, but it’s not certainly what you as leader promised you would do with the SEND places,” she said.
Council leader Adam Zerny councillor Adam Zerny (The Independent Alliance, Potton) interrupted councillor Harvey, requesting specific references or withdrawal of the claim.
Councillor Harvey said: “I will refer to your specialist school places strategy that said you were going to deliver many more places.
“I certainly am referring to the comments made by Oakbank School that due to the delays, they withdrew from the process and that really delayed the free school.
“Although it’s great [news], it’s not what we expected.”
Councillor Zerny said: “This is about talking about the Pulloxhill one, if there are complaints you wish to make about policy in general elsewhere, there will be more appropriate time to make that, but I think we’ll keep this item to Pulloxhill.”
The council acknowledged that local academy trusts had declined to take part, with Larwood selected due to existing experience and willingness.
Officers also said the Beech Road refurbishment cost, estimated at £800,000, was based on survey work. But one councillor questioned whether that sum was realistic given the building’s age and prior cost estimates.
Councillor Eugene Ghent (Conservative, Dunstable West) said he welcomed the proposal, but the Beech Road school had been closed for “quite a few years”.
“During my tenure on assets, I think at the time that it was shut down, they were talking about that sort of money [£800,000] just to fix the heating system,” he said.
“It seems quite a very low sum of money to reopen this school for this use.”
The Executive voted to progress with the plans.