The LVS SEND SCHOOL project used the skills of the whole team over an 8-year period where we were appointed for:
- Master planning, planning strategy and a feasibility assessment of development options
- Representations to the emerging East SussexLocal Plan for site reallocation from a SEND school for a mixed-use development
- Master planning of wider site for a new school and enabling housing development
- Engagement and design workshops with staff, pupils and wider stakeholders
- Planning application submission for a replacement school
- Detailed technical design, which will see contracts tendered in 2026
- Project management of a technical consultant’s team to RIBA Stage 4
We worked for LTC, a charitable trust to deliver a replacement specialist SEND school on this semi-rural site in East Sussex.
Feasibility assessments and pre-planning application submissions led to us devising a sustainable costed scheme for this site, with the introduction of 220 homes as enabling housing development, and the replacement of the outdated school buildings, whilst retaining the existing school chapel, a non-designated hertage asset.
Once we had resolved some complex master planning and delivery issues with the client and their development partner, we prepared a detailed planning application for a two storey SEND school for 100 pupils.Complex issues which the design overcame include:
- An integrated and well landscaped access strategy, accommodating specialist needs of pupils (taxi and car drop offs)
- Creation of a strong sense of place considering orientation points for pupils to promote independence
- A unique contemporary design approach relating to local vernacular architecture
- Sustainable building to Passivhaus standards, minimising the need for heating and artificial light
- Technical designs to meet the sensory needs of pupils
- Value formoney for this established charity
- Achieving 10% Biodiversity Net Gain on-site
- Complex drainage issues through the creation of an on-site swales
