West Sussex County Council has approved the use of £6.3million to pay for a satellite site for a school for children with special needs.
Statutory notices are also to be published laying out the proposal to use Lyndhurst Infant School, in Worthing, as a satellite for Palatine Primary School.
The decision was taken by Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children, young people and learning, with the money to be taken from the capital funds allocated to SEND (special educational needs and disabilities).
Lyndhurst Infant School has merged with Chesswood Junior School, forming an all-through primary called Homefield Primary School based on the Chesswood site. Children at the infant school are expected to transfer across in September 2027.
This would free up the Lyndhurst site for remodelling, providing 75 specialist school places, 34 from Palatine School and an extra 41.
This would help to address over-capacity issues at the main Palatine school, in Durrington, reducing its intake to 190, while increasing the total number of places at the school and satellite to 262.
A public consultation, held last year, saw 90.8 per cent of the 285 respondents support the idea.
A report from Claire Hayes, service director for education & skills, said: “Following the outcome of the statutory proposal period, should approval be given to establish the satellite site, the design would be finalised and works progressed.
“The project would encompass the remodelling of the Lyndhurst site to provide classrooms, group rooms, a calming room, sensory room, associated WCs, large spaces for dining and PE, and an external play area.
“Should the proposed project proceed to implementation the remodelling work at the site to establish the satellite site could be expected to be completed for September 2028 occupation.”
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