Waterbeach New Town school plans paused by council due to ‘costing issue’

An application to build a primary school for Waterbeach New Town has been temporarily withdrawn by Cambridgeshire County Council due to “a costing issue”.

The application for the school had been due to go before the planning committee today (March 20) but that has been paused.

The admission that the school plan had been removed from the agenda was made to a Waterbeach resident, who was trying to comment on the application when it suddenly disappeared.

The email received by the resident from the council stated: “We have been advised that there are affordability issues and the county council is pausing to review the position, we expect further information will be released next week. The county council understands the importance of delivering schools in all its new developments, including Waterbeach.”

However, when asked about the email, the council said it was still “striving to meet” the existing timetable for the school to open in September 2025.

Cllr Bryony Goodliffe, chair of the children and young people committee at the county council, told the Cambridge Independent: “We’re committed to building a new primary school in Waterbeach to serve a growing community and offer education close to home.

“We have withdrawn the planning application from consideration at this month’s planning committee due to a costing issue, related to inflationary and construction supply chain pressures. We’re working hard to resolve this issue and have temporarily paused the planning application while we review this.

“Urban & Civic are making a substantial contribution towards the cost of the new school and the County Council will cover the remaining costs.

“We are continuing to strive to meet the existing timetable for the new school’s opening and will provide regular updates.

“Based on our detailed forecasting, and ongoing monitoring of pupil numbers in the area, we remain confident the new Waterbeach primary school will be ready when needed.”

The school is proposed to serve the new development at Waterbeach Barracks, part of which is being built by Urban & Civic.

The Deneia Primary Academy will be the first primary school at the 5,000-plus home development of the former barracks site in Waterbeach. Concerns have already been raised because is set to be built just metres from the A10.

Urban & Civic confirmed it has made payments of £10.8m of the £14.3 million for the costs of the school.

Paul Mumford, project director for the developer, said: “Schools are at the very heart of every new place and community we create: not just to provide inspiring places for learning, but for their key role in bringing together new residents, and providing spaces that everyone in the community can use and feel welcome. As the owner and master developer of the Waterbeach development, we have been working with the County council over a number of years to progress the delivery of the first school: its setting, car free connections and the timing of delivery as early as possible within the roll out of new development. The county council is leading the design, procurement and delivery process for this new school.

“We have made the funding payments in line with our planning commitments, with a final payment scheduled to be made on the County Council’s request. That sits alongside the site for the school, which stands ready for the County Council to begin the build. The school has been designed to sit at the heart of the first phase of this new community, the important thing now is to work together so that it can open for our new residents.”