Decision due on rebuilding Raac-riddled school

Plans to rebuild a school which was constructed using a cheap form of concrete that crumbles are due to be decided next week.

Thurston Community College in Suffolk is part of the government's school rebuilding programme for sites affected by Raac, which stands for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

According to planning documents, the Department for Education (DfE) said if the application was not granted in June the project would fall into a different funding cycle, with costs likely to increase by £1.2m to £1.5m.

Councillors at Mid Suffolk District Council will discuss the plans on Wednesday, with planning officers recommending they are approved.

The main building of the school is in "urgent need" of replacement, according to the planning documents, due to "issues associated with the historic use of Raac in its original construction".

If approved, the new building would be built to the north of the existing school, with teaching continuing at the current site.

The original building would then be demolished once the new one is complete.

The DfE said the new school was a replacement and not an expansion, meaning the number of places at the school would remain the same - 1,914. However, the design leaves room for expansion if required in future.

Thurston Parish Council has objected to the plans, saying: "The proposal overall is inappropriate for its village location and risks causing harm to the local character, landscape setting, sense of place and will have a detrimental impact on highway safety."

Six other objections were lodged, with concerns around parking, buildings being too tall, and safety issues with children being dropped off and picked up.

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