Councillors in Cadmore End, England, reject Plymouth Brethren school plan

Planning officers at Wycombe District Council recommended refusing a plan by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church to build a new primary and secondary school in Cadmore End, Buckinghamshire. The proposal would replace an equestrian centre on Chequers Lane. The officers cited concerns about the effect on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the protected landscape designation that covers the area.

The officers also said the site’s remote location would allow only limited access without a car. The school would bring all pupils in each morning and take them home each evening by a fleet of 26 minibuses. The council was concerned that a double-width access from Chequers Lane would be visually intrusive and an alien feature on the narrow, rural road. Twenty-six objections had been received from residents, citing noise, increased traffic and extra waste.

The Plymouth Brethren said the school was needed urgently. Its Stoke Poges site had been bought by the government and must be vacated by the end of 2019, and, according to the second report, its Dunstable site in Bedfordshire had become unviable. The school would have catered for 275 pupils aged between seven and 18, and included a gym and new sports pitches.

Residents told the newspaper that Chequers Lane is already very busy and is used as a rat run when the M40 is blocked. Councillor Hugh McCarthy said there was no way the lane could cope with the traffic. Councillor Jean Teesdale said the rural area was simply the wrong place for the school. Councillor Chris Whitehead objected to the carbon footprint of transporting pupils by a fleet of 26 minibuses.

The application went before the council’s planning committee. The first report says that the majority of councillors refused the plans on a Wednesday night. The reports do not give further detail on the vote.