Swanwick's fire-damaged Fair Ways School plans rebuild as children left learning in temporary buildings

Fair Ways School in New Road, Swanwick, was damaged by fire in July 2021, rendering the buildings unusable, and children have been learning in temporary buildings ever since.

A total of 16 modular buildings were set up in the car park, with parking moved elsewhere on the site, but permission for those buildings runs out in May 2025.

Mac McHugh, of Fair Ways Community Benefit Society, has applied to Fareham Borough Council to replace the existing temporary school buildings, move the existing modular buildings, create a new school, improve existing access and park, and move the games area.

The planning statement said: ”The development proposed, will provide a safe and stimulating environment for children with educational needs, and allow for additional numbers of children to be educated on site, including children that are currently on a waiting list with Hampshire County Council.”

A previous planning application was refused, with those behind the scheme saying the borough council only wanted a replacement school on the existing site – not on land to the north where it had been planned.

The new plans said the school would cater for 30 pupils, together with the staff and other facilities needed to provide an “exemplary education to children with special needs” in a “relaxing and supportive environment”.

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The application form said works include two new buildings with 25 classrooms and toilets. The existing modular buildings will then be used as admin and staff facilities, a kitchen and technology teaching areas. A veranda or canopy is to link the various classrooms providing a partially covered walkway between the buildings.

Plans also include a new/relocated basketball court, new water storage tanks and the widening and re-alignment of the site access road.

There will be 31 new car parking spaces and five new spaces for cars collecting and dropping off pupils with an additional six cycle spaces.

There will be a number of materials used to create a modern look, metal coping, rendering, metal framed windows, screw fixed coloured cladding, stack bond brick, engineering brick and timber doors and gates.

The planning assessment said material will be used to identify different areas of the school, and to provide a cheerful environment for both staff and pupils. The cladding materials chosen have been selected to be ‘friendly’ to users and also resilient to wear and tear.

A decision on planning application reference P/24/1616/FP will be made by February 3 2025.