A DECISION is due on plans for a new school for children with special needs.

On Wednesday (19 February), members of Babergh's planning committee will meet to discuss Circles Alternative Education's plans for a new outdoor school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The plans include building four timber buildings and two shelters on land at Holly Farm, in East End Lane, East Bergholt, to provide an alternative education option for children under 16.

The county council's children and young people's department stated Circles had already evidenced successful SEND placements.

The department's representation read: "From our team's perspective, we need a range of high-quality providers to deliver alternative provision in Suffolk.

"Having further provisions in Suffolk means that we can keep children and young people local, reducing travel time and costs."

There would be four members of staff, working with 24 students in total.

Despite this, the plans received local opposition from East Bergholt Parish Council as well as 56 objections submitted by residents.

The main concerns included an increase in traffic, impacts on ecology, and access to the site.

On the ecology, officers said they were satisfied the use could be accommodated on the site with little to no impact but suggested entering into a legal agreement to secure specific biodiversity net gain matters.

Traffic concerns were addressed, with planners stating the area had a very low accident rate and the extra traffic generation would not result in significant impacts.

The officer's report reads: "It is clear that new facilities such as these are much needed, and this attracts significant weight as does the support of SCC.

"Do these facilities have to be located here? In the basic geographical sense – no, but this site is owned by the applicant who is a SEND provider and such proposals are few and far between."