Assessing school capacity and the impact of new housing development
Ensuring local schools have capacity to accommodate new housing development is important in plan making and for development management. New site allocations need to be justified and new housing developments require sufficient education provision in place or provided for.
While education provision can form a key part of plan-led growth, the requirements for new school provision as a result of new development should be considered in the context of the national trends of declining birth rates. The opportunity for new development to reverse falling rolls and support a school’s long-term viability should also be considered and the sustainability benefits recognised.
Schoolroom is Lichfields’ evidence-led framework for assessing education capacity in the context of planned housing growth. Our approach helps local authorities, land promoters and developers make better informed decisions around housing delivery, infrastructure planning and education investment.
