Council accused of 'playing fast and loose with taxpayers’ money' over temporary classroom plan for Cranfield school

And a letter is to be sent to the local authority’s chief executive Marcel Coiffait to make him aware the council is “breaking planning law”.

The council’s education department applied for a temporary classroom block to allow for other improvements at Holywell Middle School in Red Lion Close. The teaching block is intended for two years and contains five classrooms.

Following a statutory objection from Sport England, the plans have to be referred to the Secretary of State before final approval. But CBC’s development management committee was told installation work would finish on the day of its meeting.

The project is part of the council’s Schools for the Future programme to move towards primary and secondary education, according to a report to the committee. The site is just over half an acre of grassland and forms part of the school playing field, said the report.

Senior planning officer Ben Keen explained: “Sport England objected as this would result in a significant loss of playing field land and have an adverse impact on the school’s sporting offer.

“This has to be balanced with the minimal area affected and the development’s temporary nature, with the land being reinstated as playing field eventually.

“Legislation requires the application to be referred to the Secretary of State because of the statutory objection. The classrooms are currently being put on site.”

Asked if this was happening when planning permission has still to be granted, Mr Keen replied: “Yes. As with anything retrospective, it’s at the applicant’s own risk.”

Chartered town planner at planning agents Bidwells Mike Jones said: “These five classrooms will enable the wider renovation of the site, with the main works subject to a separate application.

“This process will allow the full transition from a middle school to a secondary for September 2028. There won’t be an increase in the number of pupils or staff.

“The temporary proposals are necessary as it’s impossible to plan and deliver these works without impacting on school operations. This project isn’t without constraints, as with most school improvements.

“It’s disappointing Sport England objected at this late stage, despite the justification of the scheme to serve the school’s curriculum and teaching standards.

“The site delivery of the modular units started yesterday and will finish today. It’s unfortunate in the logistics of this, which was timed for minimal impact from traffic within the school holidays. We’re aware of the risk associated with that.”

Conservative Clifton, Henlow and Langford councillor Richard Wenham described it as “more than unfortunate”, saying: “This council is in an extremely serious position without permission to install these units.

“What on earth were officers thinking of to bring this as though it would be rubber-stamped? Had this been done six months ago, we wouldn’t be worrying about it and the council wouldn’t be breaking planning law.

“We rightfully take an extremely dim view if other members of the community move caravans or similar structures on a site without planning permission.

“It’s an appalling breach of council process. The committee should ask the chairman to write to the chief executive and make him formally aware of the position this council has put itself in.

“We can expect this to be used against us in future by others who feel they’ll start building things without planning permission. It’s dreadful and a misuse of this committee’s quasi legal decision-making capacity.”

Conservative Dunstable West councillor Nigel Young suggested: “This is essentially a part-retrospective application. If we were minded to refuse, we’d be passing this to enforcement and issuing a stop notice.”

The Central Bedfordshire Community Network Biggleswade West councillor Hayley Whitaker added: “If anything goes wrong with the Secretary of State, this all has to be pulled down and taken away at cost to this council.

“I’m uncomfortable with us playing fast and loose with taxpayers’ money. We’re gambling on the fact that the Secretary of State isn’t going to do anything.”