Homes England and West Sussex County Council’s plans to create a zero-carbon school approved by Mid Sussex District Council

Homes England and West Sussex County Council's plans to create a zero-carbon school were approved by Mid Sussex District Council's planning committee on 15 December 2022. The ambitious design will allow the school to generate its own renewable energy on site without using any fossil fuels. It aims to be the first school in West Sussex to achieve Passivhaus certification, the highest standard of energy efficiency a building can reach, and offer excellent educational facilities to 900 local children. The school will be the largest capital project West Sussex County Council has delivered, and the cost will be part-funded by a £18m contribution from Homes England.

The all-through primary and secondary school is planned as part of the wider Burgess Hill Brookleigh development, providing a high-quality education for new and existing residents in the 3,500-home development and across the local area.

The University of Brighton Academies Trust has been appointed to run the new all-through school which will have both primary and secondary provision. West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is designing and building the secondary school site, which will be called the Bedelands Academy. The primary school element is being designed and built directly by Homes England. It will be two-form entry with provision for early years and children with special education needs.

A second new primary school at the centre of the scheme will be designed and built by Homes England in a later phase of development.