Central Bedfordshire has approved a £42.2m expansion of Biggleswade's Ivel Valley special school to 330 places, with 20 new classrooms. No start date is set.
Ivel Valley School in Biggleswade will grow to 330 places after Central Bedfordshire Council approved a £42.2 million expansion on Tuesday.
The council’s Executive agreed the plan at its meeting on 6 October. The school is a special school for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). (Central Bedfordshire Council)
Biggleswade is about 20 miles north-east of Leighton Buzzard. The council’s report describes Ivel Valley as “the only special school serving the east of the authority”. It says the school is “operating at capacity” in buildings “no longer fit for the scale and complexity of need it supports”. (Executive report, 6 October 2026)
What has been approved
The scheme is mostly new building. It includes:
- 20 new classrooms
- 12 existing classrooms remodelled into six larger rooms
- more parking
- total capacity of 330 places across Ivel Valley School and College
The new buildings will go either on the existing site at Stratton or on land next to it. The council merged two earlier options, 1a and 1b, and will settle the layout with the school. The report put those options at £39 million and £43 million.
The council’s 2026/27 capital programme holds £42.2 million for the project. The report warns the figure is still “subject to detailed design and cost refinement”. Any overspend would have to be found elsewhere in the council’s budgets.
The Executive also gave the Director of Children and Families power to award the building contracts. The report gives no start date and no opening date.
What the consultation said
The statutory consultation ran from 22 June to 17 August 2026 and drew 107 responses. Most supported the plan.
Thirteen respondents were directly connected with the school. They were seven parents or carers, five staff and one pupil.
The report lists the main worries raised in 71 written comments:
- a preference for a new site instead
- disruption to pupils during building work
- parking and congestion around the school
- the walkway and bridleway by the site
- whether 330 places will be enough in future
One comment, quoted in the council’s consultation report, came back to this end of the district. “Doubtless Ivel Valley could use more school places,” it said, “but the need for the children from the 10000 + new homes in Leighton Buzzard is likely greater.” (Consultation report)
Two conditions from councillors
The council’s Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee backed the plan with two recommendations:
- the bridleway issue should be “clearly resolved” before building starts
- an “enhanced management plan” should limit construction disruption for pupils
(Scrutiny committee recommendations)
Councillor Gareth Mackey, the Executive Member for Children and Families, said the concerns about “disruption to pupils during construction, the bridleway, parking, access have been heard loud and clear”.
What it means for you
- If your child attends Ivel Valley: the council says the design, building phases and safeguarding will be worked out with the school. Ask the school how families will be kept informed.
- If you live near the school: the scheme still needs planning permission. That will be your chance to comment on parking, traffic and the bridleway.
- If you live in Leighton Buzzard or Linslade: this scheme adds places in the east of the district, not here. Our report on the council’s backlog of EHC plan reviews covers how the SEND system is coping across Central Bedfordshire.
We will report when the planning application is lodged.
Sources: Central Bedfordshire Council, news release, 6 October 2026; Executive meeting, 6 October 2026: officers’ report, Appendix A consultation report, and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendations.
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