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Uttlesford District Council leader Petrina Lees hits out at Helena Romanes School delays




Families are in “limbo” as plans for a new Uttlesford school are the subject of more “disappointing” delays.

Cllr Petrina Lees, the Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) party leader of Uttlesford District Council (UDC), spoke out after it was revealed that opening of the new all-through Helena Romanes School in Dunmow has been put back a year.

Students will continue to be taught in temporary classrooms in the school’s car park for at least another 12 months.

The leader of Uttlesford District Council, Petrina Lees (R4U, Elsenham & Henham)
The leader of Uttlesford District Council, Petrina Lees (R4U, Elsenham & Henham)

The Government is behind the plans to relocate the school from Parsonage Downs to a site off Stortford Road in Dunmow.

Cllr Lees said: “I don’t understand why they are replacing it with the same sized school. We’ve got all these new homes coming.

“I am disappointed about the delay and families are in limbo.

Computer-generated image of the new Helena Romanes School in Dunmow
Computer-generated image of the new Helena Romanes School in Dunmow

“We are looking at getting a new school which should be well funded and managed, and new people coming to the area should have access to education.”

A new planning application submitted to UDC, which is the local planning authority, includes changes to the plans as well as additional sports pitches. These documents reveal that the opening will be delayed.

They state: “It is envisaged that construction of the primary school and associated infrastructure will take 10 months, with the two-form-entry [60 pupils per year group] school opening in autumn 2026.

“The construction of the secondary school and sixth form is expected to take 19 months, with the nine-form-entry [270 children per year group] secondary school and 350-place sixth form opening in summer 2027.

“The assessment of the operational phase will begin from the first year of occupation, with relevant considerations taken into account for later dates.”

The Helena Romanes School and the Department for Education (DfE) were contacted for comment.



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