Plans for free school still on indefinite pause as Bedford faces 'woeful' shortage of places for pupils

This development has sparked disappointment for a councillor, who fears a “real knock-on impact” on the borough’s ability to meet future demand for school places.

In September, a council committee was told the borough would be “woefully short” of places for 2027.

But yesterday the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Monday, June 9) was told that the council is assuming a new free school will not be going ahead.

Chris Morris, service director – education, SEND and school infrastructure, reminded the committee that the council had been successful in “porting” plans for a free school in St Neots to the borough.

“Then in October 2024, the new secretary of state for education announced that there was going to be a pause whilst they reviewed the free school projects to ensure they were still the best use of public funds,” he said.

“Eight months later we are still in this pause.

“We were told we would get an announcement towards the end of spring, Spring has sprung and we have not had an announcement.

“[So] I am planning for this not to proceed because I think that this is the safest course of action for us.”

Councillor Dylan Simmons (Conservative, Bromham) said this was a “very disappointing update”

“I think free schools have been a fantastic invention,” he said.

“They had been brought in by the previous government, and it’s disappointing that they are being played around with in this way.

“It is having a real knock-on impact on our ability to deliver secondary school places when we have a 600-place deficit in the five-year plan.

“It’s very frustrating this is being done to us.”

To “balance the argument”, committee chair, councillor James Valentine (Labour, Kempston West), said a review was taking place as some free schools had been built in areas where there was no “obvious need”.