Petition launched over the impact new special school may have on local wildlife

A PETITION signed by more than 300 has been launched to protect the environment as Wiltshire Council plans to build Silverwood School in an area “rich in wildlife”. 

Tessa Woodward, who started the Change.org petition, said the plans to extend the Rowde school for additional needs pupils is in the worst possible place. She claimed that the extension is “smack bang” in the middle of where badgers commute and will take away from where rare Beckstein bats roost.

The new co-educational special school for pupils aged 4-19 years was formed in September last year, with campuses in Rowde, Trowbridge and Chippenham; former schools of Rowdeford School, Larkrise School and St Nicholas School.

Tessa said, “I cannot see how this can be lawful. They seem to be changing the rules to suit themselves. They reckon that they have involved various wildlife charities and they are willing to go along with this.

“I believe that the new build will be a blot on the landscape but we are being told that it is what is best for special needs children and they know best, despite a lot of staff and parents being against the plan.”

According to Ms Woodward, the impact from traffic and congestion of the children going to the school may also have a negative effect on the area. She added, “This is parkland rich in history, close to the site of a civil war encounter and the proposal puts this mighty structure right in the most damaging position, blocking wildlife corridors.”

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for SEND, Jane Davies said, “All the details that respond to the concerns raised in this petition are answered in the planning documents, which are available on our website.

“We have also shared the plans with experts in ecology and wildlife. In addition, our commitment to protecting the site’s unique features is shown in a recent request to our cabinet for additional funding to protect the biodiversity and a very rare species of bat, which has only recently been identified.

“We are fortunate to have this school in such a unique setting and the planning application details how we have carefully considered the wildlife in the area, including putting in badger gates and measures to protect the bats on site. We need to provide more school places for SEND pupils in north Wiltshire, and the plans for Silverwood School at its Rowde campus will provide 350 spaces for pupils by September 2023.

“The designs for the school build have been shaped by feedback from a series of workshops with the school community, local people, families and staff, and we have also held general online meetings for people to share their thoughts on early designs.”

Plans for the new school will go to Wiltshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee in October.

At the time of writing, 335 people have signed the petition: www. change.org/ p/wiltshire-council-loss-of-wildlife-habitat