The West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee met on 19 November 2025, and approved the redevelopment of St Michael's Catholic School subject to conditions, after hearing from the public. Councillors also agreed on the date of the next meeting and the availability of members for site visits.

St Michael's Catholic School Redevelopment

The committee approved application 25/06099/FUL for the demolition of ten existing school buildings at St Michael's Catholic School, Daws Hill Lane, High Wycombe, HP11 1PW and the construction of three replacement school buildings, comprising a primary school block, secondary school block and shared school block, along with associated access, landscaping, parking and infrastructure.

The decision was made subject to a number of conditions, including an amendment to condition 3, which now requires that:

Prior to the commencement of any works on the site, a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with the Highway Authority and the Chairman of the West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee. The CTMP shall detail…

The application was called in by Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE due to concerns about the Travel Management Plan, unresolved Neighbourhood Plan issues, traffic and infrastructure.

Key Considerations

• Green Space: A substantial portion of the application site is designated as Green Space under Policy DM12 and lies within an amber Great Crested Newt (GCN) Impact Risk Zone. The permanent loss of green space relates to the existing hard-surfaced MUGA[^1]. The temporary loss of green space relates to the relocation of the temporary classroom onto the playing fields to facilitate the decanting of students from Blocks EFAD and EFAK, enabling their demolition. [^1]: A Multi-Use Games Area, or MUGA, is a type of outdoor sports facility that can be used for a variety of sports.
• Playing Field: Sport England initially objected to the application due to concerns over potential impacts on the playing field, but later withdrew their objection after the applicant addressed their concerns.
• Transport: The Highways Authority did not object to the application, but recommended that a Construction Traffic Management Plan be submitted and approved prior to the commencement of works.
• Design: The proposed redevelopment includes three new buildings that have been carefully placed to make better use of the site, improve access, and create more outdoor space.
• Amenity: Residents raised concerns about noise and disruption due to the extended construction period. A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) has been submitted and is broadly acceptable; however, a condition will require a detailed version to be submitted and approved prior to commencement.
• Environmental Issues: The redevelopment of St Michael's Catholic School is designed to meet Net Zero Carbon in Operation, incorporating ground and air source heat pumps, passive design, and high-performance insulation.
• Flooding and Drainage: The application site lies within Flood Zone 1 and is not at risk from ground water flooding, but existing blocks EFAF, EFAJ and EFAK lie within an area of medium to high surface water flood risk.
• Ecology: A confirmed soprano pipistrelle bat day roost will be lost due to demolition of building EFAF. Mitigation via a Bat Mitigation Class Licence (BMCL) or Earned Recognition scheme is recommended.
• Trees: Only a small number of trees are to be removed, and these losses can be appropriately mitigated through replacement planting.

Public Speakers

• Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE spoke as Ward Member.
• Mr M McLaughlin, CEO of St Thomas Catholic Academic Trust, spoke in support of the application.
• Mr T Molyneux-Wright spoke on behalf of the applicant.

Councillor Declarations of Interest

• Councillor Alex Collingwood declared an interest as he was a former pupil of the school and had been a governor for a total of eight years. Following advice from the Legal Officer, he was permitted to participate and vote on the application.
• Councillor Shade Adoh declared an interest as she used to be a school governor whilst her son attended the school over 10 years ago.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

The committee noted that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday 17 December 2025 at 6.30pm.

Availability of Members Attending Site Visits

Councillors Alex Collingwood, Matthew Hind, Alan Sherwell, Larisa Townsend, Mark Turner and Michael West were invited to attend site visits on Tuesday 16 December 2025.